Contradiction in Behaviors and Statements of Behdarvand Regarding the Return of Expelled Professors; Mahmoud Montazarpour Expelled from Amirkabir University

Simultaneously with Masoud Behdarvand's claim about facilitating the return of expelled professors and students, Mahmoud Montazarpour, a professor at Amirkabir University and a supporter of the protesters, was expelled from this university. According to the Telegram channel 'Amirkabir Newsletter', the expulsion of Mahmoud Montazarpour, an assistant professor in the Computer Engineering Department at Amirkabir University, was carried out following a 'joint case fabrication' by the university's security and the Ministry of Intelligence. This student union channel reported that Mahmoud Montazarpour was a professor supporting students in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, who succumbed to 'forced migration' and is now accused by the university's security of 'collecting classified information' and providing it to 'hostile governments'. According to 'Amirkabir Newsletter', this expelled professor is currently facing a new case at the Ministry of Science's security center and the Tehran Provincial Intelligence Office. The newsletter emphasized that the authorities at Amirkabir University have refused to renew this professor's contract under the pretext of the expiration of his 10-year term and the failure to convert his contract status to a probationary official one. The expulsion of this university professor occurred simultaneously with Masoud Behdarvand's claim about facilitating the return of expelled professors and students. Masoud Behdarvand, the president of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Thursday, September 8, asked the new Minister of Science, Hossein Simayi Sarraf, to review the status of expelled professors and students to facilitate their return. Masoud Behdarvand had previously acknowledged that he was among the officials responsible for 'purging universities and hospitals' after the February 1979 revolution. During the political and ideological purges of the Islamic Republic, which began in the early days of its establishment under the title of 'purification', a large number of dissenting professors and students were expelled during what the Islamic Republic called the 'Cultural Revolution'. This process has continued in recent years under the name of 'purification project' in universities. The newspaper Etemad reported on September 22 of last year that at least 110 professors had been expelled or suspended from universities, stating that these professors were either opponents of Ebrahim Raisi's election or had supported the protests of 2022 in Iran. Exclusive | A narrative of 'inquisition' in the process of 'selection' of professors; interrogation, detention, and prevention of teaching due to signing statements requesting the release of students. A directive to universities; the Ministry of Science uses 'the mobilization of professors' for 'suppressing academics'. A new regulation for recruiting faculty members in universities; participation in gatherings or signing protest statements prevents hiring. Government pressure on academics; Solmaz Akbarzadeh, a law professor in Bushehr, was expelled.