World Student Association Condemns the Conviction of an Iranian Researcher

The World Student Association, in a statement expressing solidarity with Ali Ramazani, an electrical engineering student at Amirkabir University, condemned the actions taken against him. The Amirkabir Newsletter emphasized that the statement noted the harassment of this electrical engineer and human rights defender, who is a winner of the Global Microelectronics Olympiad medal, is a violation of human rights and the most fundamental academic freedoms. In Esfand 1402 (February 2024), the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Ali Ramazani, an elite student and winner of the Global Olympiad medal, to three years and seven months in prison on charges of 'propaganda against the regime' and 'collusion and conspiracy against internal and external security.' According to reports received by Voice of America and published in some human rights sources on Wednesday, Esfand 2, Ali Ramazani, a member of Iran's National Microelectronics Olympiad team and a Global Olympiad medalist, was previously arrested on the evening of Mehr 24 (October 16) following a raid by Ministry of Intelligence agents on his home. The three years and seven months prison sentence for this student was issued in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court presided over by Iman Afshari on charges of 'collusion and conspiracy against internal and external security' as well as 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' Pressure on higher education institutions has increased following the nationwide protests of 1401 (2022) in Iran, and in addition to the arrest and issuance of prison sentences, suspension, and deprivation of education for a significant number of students, more than 66 university professors have also been dismissed, suspended, or forced to resign or retire. The conviction of an elite student to three years and seven months in prison in the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran continues the pressure on student activists: the secretary of the Islamic Association of Kharazmi University was suspended for two semesters amid a growing wave of arrests of critics and opponents of the government.