Minister of Science: There Are No Politically Starred Students

The Minister of Science, Research, and Technology in Hassan Rouhani's government claims that there are no politically starred students in Iran, and that the issue for 'most' of these students is a 'file deficiency.' Mansour Gholami stated on Saturday, December 25, in an interview with the House of the Nation that among starred students, 'there are no individuals with political problems or political tendencies and actions, as political issues are not considered in student selection.' He added that the term 'starred' does not exist among students and applicants for higher education as it is perceived by the public... Most of these students have issues related to file deficiencies. The Minister of Science in Rouhani's government stated that 'the issues of many of these students have been resolved through the efforts of the Assessment Organization and other officials,' and that 'a few of these individuals remain, and their cases are also being processed.' Gholami's remarks come despite the fact that the term 'starred student' has been used since 2006 during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency for students who are often deprived of education due to political and ideological activities. While the Minister of Science mentioned 'a few' starred students, ILNA news agency reported on December 16 that Masoumeh Ebtekar, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, expressed concern about 'the starred status and restrictions on the education of some students.' One day before Ebtekar's remarks, Mohammad Reza Khatami, a reformist political activist, criticized the starred status of students during Rouhani's presidency. According to Khorasan newspaper, Khatami addressed Rouhani, asking, 'Who other than your Ministry of Intelligence stars students? Based on which law and court have you condemned students? Mr. Rouhani, do not act against the law and the agreements made with the people; all of this is under the control of your Ministry of Science and Ministry of Intelligence.' Emadeddin Baghi, another reformist activist, also wrote in an article titled 'Starred Students' in Shargh newspaper that the number of starred students is 'much higher' than the number announced by a member of the tenth parliament. This refers to Mahmoud Sadeghi's statements on December 9, where he said that in the new academic year 'more than 150 students were starred.' He later clarified that this year, 27 individuals in master's and doctoral programs have been deprived of education, while '549 starred students have returned to university with commitments.' The newspaper 'Jameh-Farda' also reported on December 9 that at least 150 master's and doctoral students were starred in October of this year, stating that they faced 'file deficiency messages' and were barred from entering universities. This comes as Hassan Rouhani promised during the 2013 election campaign to eliminate the starred status of students, return them, and open up university spaces. The return of some of these starred students to university, as mentioned by Jameh-Farda, has occurred with the signing of 'commitment letters.' The newspaper reported that 'some starred students have had their issues resolved by signing a commitment letter.' Mahmoud Sadeghi also told this newspaper that he is unaware of the contents of this commitment letter, but 'according to the law and legally, if this commitment letter results in the deprivation of freedoms and civil rights of individuals, including membership in student organizations, it is illegal.' According to Sadeghi, 'even if this commitment letter is signed with the individual's consent, it has no legal value, as depriving individuals of rights is prohibited by law.'