Widespread Criticism of Azad University and Calls for Velayati's Resignation

Following the dismissal of five vice presidents and managers of the University of Science and Research after a bus carrying students overturned, several political figures and social media users have directly or indirectly called for the resignation of Ali Akbar Velayati, the chairman of the board of trustees and founding board of Azad University. As a result of the bus overturning on December 25, ten people have died and 25 others are injured, with some in critical condition. After rejecting the claim that the driver suffered a stroke, Habibollah Dehmarde, Jabbar Kouchakinejad, and Farideh Oladghobad, three representatives from the Education and Research Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, visited the accident site and found that 'neither a technical inspection nor a health card was obtained from the driver.' According to the website of the House of the Nation, quoting Habibollah Dehmarde, 'The technical defect of the vehicle was evident and clear based on conversations with the conscious injured, all of whom acknowledged that moments before the accident, the driver stated that the brakes had failed, causing many passengers to move to the back of the vehicle.' The report from these three representatives after meeting with officials from the University of Science and Research indicated that 'the deceased driver had only been employed at the university for 20 days, and the university's transportation unit had not obtained his health card and technical inspection despite stipulations in the contract, and no follow-up actions had been taken in this regard.' The occurrence of this incident and the death of ten students have drawn significant criticism towards the performance of senior officials at Azad Islamic University, especially Ali Akbar Velayati. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, remarked that 'negligence, carelessness, and lack of responsibility have caused extensive damage in the administration of the country.' He claimed that 'indifference to the property and lives of people is a remnant of the culture of monarchy.' Mr. Rezaei, referring to the lack of technical inspection of the bus, questioned, 'Why have the relevant oversight bodies been so weak that... the bus was not technically inspected?' Mostafa Kaveh Kabi, a representative from Tehran in the parliament, also stated without mentioning Velayati's name that 'if officials do not resign, at least they should apologize. This is the least they can do.' Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, also commented on the bus overturning at the University of Science and Research, stating that this incident 'cannot be considered an unforeseen event' and that the judiciary should investigate the matter. Parvaneh Salahshouri, a member of the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has also called for the resignation of 'senior officials' of Azad Islamic University and criticized the lack of oversight over the university. She stated, 'The weakness of oversight over Azad University, like that of the state media, has made its inefficiency apparent. Since no action can be taken for the oversight of the university and the parliament cannot adequately oversee this institution, there is also a lack of accountability in this institution.' Ms. Salahshouri explicitly stated that 'the senior officials of Azad University and the president of the University of Science and Research must be fully accountable. Perhaps there is currently no legal mechanism for these individuals to be accountable to the people and representatives, but we cannot simply overlook all these events.' A list of 38 responsibilities that Ali Akbar Velayati holds simultaneously at the age of 73. As criticism of the officials at Azad University, where students pay significant tuition fees, increases, the Mehr News Agency quoted Hamid Reza Moghaddamfar, cultural advisor to the chairman of the founding board and board of trustees of Azad University, stating that following the bus overturning incident at the University of Science and Research, 'all outdated buses of this university have been shut down by the order of the president of Azad University.' He added that 'not only Azad University should learn from this incident, but all public and private universities should take a lesson from this event.' Meanwhile, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Tehran, noted that investigations by the judiciary into the officials of the University of Science and Research are ongoing, stating that 'the president of the university acknowledges that he did not make the necessary oversight provisions since he took office in September.' He stated, 'We will confront any person or institution that endangers public health, even if that institution is a military entity,' adding, 'We should not direct all attacks at Azad University, as we have witnessed many similar incidents concerning students and trips in the past years.' Users on social media have harshly criticized Ali Akbar Velayati with hashtags 'Velayati Resign' and 'Controversial Old Man,' demanding that he explain where the tuition fees of Azad University are spent that its buses are outdated. Users reacted with the hashtag 'Velayati Resign' simultaneously on social media, harshly criticizing Ali Akbar Velayati and demanding that he explain where the tuition fees of Azad University are spent that its buses are outdated. A user named 'Faraz Sadeghi-Moghadam' wrote on his Twitter page: 'The removal of middle managers instead of the resignation of the university leaders is an outdated trick to deceive public opinion; Mr. Velayati and people like you and Mr. Tehranchi [president of Azad University] should resign.' 'Reza Bahrami' also referred to Velayati, stating: 'Those who were once incapable of managing a bakery are now, at the age of 73, simultaneously holding 38 responsibilities. With this in mind, was the bus overturning at Azad University not foreseeable?' According to 'Hoda Hashemi,' 'Two more students have been added to the casualties of yesterday. Did Dr. Velayati apologize? How about Dr. Tehranchi, the president of Azad University? Are they ashamed of this incident? What about Mr. Masoudi, the president of Science and Research? Did state media even air a critical report?' A user named 'Hamid' wrote: 'When you use the hashtag Velayati Resign, this poor man does not understand from which of his 37 jobs he should resign!' 'Hossein' also reacted to the formation of a committee to investigate this incident by Azad University, tweeting: 'The fact that the president of Azad University forms a special committee to investigate the cause of the incident is like the accused judging himself in the position of a judge; if a special committee is to be formed, it should be done by the Ministry of Science or the parliament.' Journalist Masoud Bastani also tweeted that 'I watch the videos from Azad University of Science and Research. The bodies wrapped in white sheets and the haunting image that will emerge from the wails of their mothers tomorrow will not leave me! Oh Mr. Jasebi, whose mushrooming buildings were your success, oh Mr. Velayati, whose purges and oppression were your legacy, are you awake?' Ali Akbar Velayati is a pediatrician who, after the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, pursued an anti-Rafsanjani approach at Azad Islamic University and, following his appointment as chairman of the founding board and board of trustees of Azad University by him, began purging the remnants of Rafsanjani's era, which was met with significant criticism. In addition to his positions at Azad University, he is an international advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, a member of the Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation, a member of the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, and several other centers and councils. Velayati also nominally heads the Masih Daneshvari Hospital and the Organ Transplant Support Society.