Suspension of a Medical University Professor Due to Signing Several Statements

Iranian university news websites reported the suspension of Dr. Zahra Ahmadinejad, a professor in the Infectious Diseases Department at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, by the university president due to her "signing several statements." The website "Modarresin Press," affiliated with the Islamic Association of University Professors, announced on Sunday, November 7, that the university's security accused Dr. Ahmadinejad of "committing acts contrary to the interests of the country and disturbing public opinion by publishing statements under various titles." According to this news website, the suspension order for Dr. Ahmadinejad was issued following a letter from the university's faculty members' preliminary committee, which referenced the security's complaint against her regarding "committing acts contrary to the interests of the country and disturbing public opinion by publishing statements under various titles." In the explanation of the charges against her, the signing of six letters and statements, including "the statement of faculty members in support of the professors of Sharif University of Technology, a letter from faculty members in support of the legal protests of students, a statement advising university officials to handle dental students peacefully and avoid expelling or suspending protesting students, and protesting against organized chain chemical attacks on girls' schools," were listed as charges. In response to these accusations, this university professor rejected the charges, stating that "signing statements and letters and expressing the views of a faculty member" is "a right to freedom of expression as specified in the Constitution and in the provisions of the Citizen's Rights Charter." Additionally, the news agency HRANA reported that at least 38 critical professors from various universities across the country have been "suspended from teaching or faced restrictions" since late July. Meanwhile, a member of the 11th Parliament criticized the widespread dismissal, suspension, and removal of school administrators, stating that "purification" during this period continues intensively from universities to education and executive bodies. It has also been noted that 15,000 to 20,000 school administrators have been dismissed "for political and ideological reasons." Mohsen Barahani, the suspended professor from Tehran University, had previously stated that the government of Ebrahim Raisi had been planning to restrict universities and dismiss professors days before the killing of Mahsa Amini during the morality police's custody and the onset of nationwide protests. In recent months, following widespread protests that also occurred in Iranian universities, the Islamic Republic has removed professors who do not align with its policies and those who support protests through ideological scrutiny. Previously, dozens of academic figures abroad protested the dismissal of professors, considering this action by the Islamic Republic as a continuation of four decades of pressure and repression in educational environments in Iran. The newspaper Etemad previously reported that thousands of professors have been dismissed from Azad University in the new academic year, stating that "first or second semester doctoral students" have replaced them. Additionally, Zhinus Taghizadeh, a multimedia artist, emphasized in an interview with VOA that the Islamic Republic's efforts to "militarize universities" have been ongoing for years, noting that brilliant professors were removed after the Cultural Revolution, and this wave has been repeated in various periods.