A Short Report

On the threshold of the University Students’ Day the “Equality and Freedom Seeking University Students” were preparing themselves to celebrate this day independently on Azar 13. Their protest against military attack, economic sanctions and internal despotism (increasing militarization of the society in general and universities in particular); the defense of the civil rights; solidarity of the social movements(Students, Workers and Women); the freedom of political prisoners and demarcation with the two wings(reformists and hard-liners) in the authority were among their pivotal demands. Their way to achieve these goals was the formation of an independent organization for further solidarity among the students.

But these were not tolerable for persons in power.

The arrests began with Milad Moini, Behrang Zandi and Hamed Mohammadi on Wednesday Azar 7. As the first two ones were released on Azar 8, a hope was developed reinforcing the possibility that these arrests were not chain ones. However, this hope was shattered before long as a new wave of arrests of the “Equality and Freedom Seeking University Students” continued 3 days later. Mehdi Grailoo(a student of the University of Tehran) was arrested by the Intelligence Forces as he was coming out of his house on Sunday morning. In the afternoon, two other “Equality and Freedom Seeking” students were detained as one of them Ilnaz Jamshidi (a Student of Azad University Tehran Central Branch) was her friend’s -Anoosheh Azadbar (a Student of University of Tehran)-guest. The security forces stormed the house and confiscated Anoosheh’s computer case, her brother’s Laptop and the documents related to Armane No(New Ideal) – a university monthly. The wave of the arrests continued as Saeed Habibi (A university activist and the ex-secretary of Tahkime Vahdat) and Behrooz Karimizade (the expelled student of the University of Tehran) were arrested on the same day. The arrests went on as Keyvan Amiri Elyasi ( a student of Sharif University of Technology) and Nasim Soltan Beygi (a student of Allameh University) along with a few cases of imprisonment in other cities on Sunday.

Although the determined students were receiving short mobile messages from unknown and suspicious phone calls which threatened them so that they would not hold their demonstration and about 30 of their comrades were arrested by the time of the demonstration Azar 13 (December 4) they commemorated this day with the participation of more than 700 students.

On that day, the University of Tehran witnessed one of the most unprecedented presences of the security and intelligence forces both at the University and on the streets around it. The declaration of the “Equality and Freedom Seeking University Students” was read by one of the students. Its central issues were: “A University is not A Garrison” and “No War”. A few of the students announced their viewpoints, namely, their protest against war, their protest against despotism and repression, the necessity of the unity of the different social movements: Women, Workers and University Students. They also called on the immediate and unconditional freedom of all political prisoners. During the ceremony and right after that we witnessed more arrests, the number of which is now more than 40. In all the cases the security forces hardly felt themselves responsible to let the families of the imprisoned students know about their situation for a few days after their arrest.

The lengthy and stressful follow-up of their situation by the families showed the families in Tehran the way of notorious Evin Prison, where more than 3o students are detained. Most of the students are kept in ward no 209(related to the ministry of Information) where as a few are in the ward no (325 related to Sepah - the guardians of the Islamic revolution. One of the students is said to have committed suicide, an attempt which has been neither confirmed nor rejected by the authorities. The situation of the students in other cities are said to be even worse.

In a declaration, the ministry of information has condemned the students for many diversified and somehow ridiculous issues: from carrying catapults, having so-called misleading books, having alcoholic drinks and even drugs and sound grenades.

It has been more than 3 weeks since the beginning of these arrests and during this period neither the family members nor the students’ lawyers have been permitted to meet them. In a few cases the inspectors have threatened the families so that they may not ask for a lawyer. Since new arrests are going on every day, nobody knows about the future of the imprisoned students.

In the following you may find a partial list of the students arrested. We can never claim to have a full list of the students as the authorities have never issued a complete list of the detainees.

Mehdi Gerailoo- University of Tehran
Nader Ahsani - Ex-student of the University of Mazandaran
Anoosheh Azadbar - University of Tehran
Ilnaz Jamshidi - Azad University of Tehran(south branch
Behrooz Karimizadeh - Expelled student of the University of Tehran
Saeed Habibi - Ex-student of the Sharif University of Technology
Ali Salem - Amirkabir University of Technology
Milad Omrani - Shahid Rajayi Teacher Training University
Abed Tavancheh - Expelled student of Amirkabir University of Technology -Released
Yaser Pirhayati - Shahed University
Roozbeh Safshekan - University of Tehran
Saeed Aghamali - Art University of Yazd
Roozbehan Amiri - University of Tehran
Nasim Soltanbeigi - Allame Tabataba'ee University
Mahsa Mohebbi
Keyvan Amiri - Sharif University of Technology
Hadi Salari - Shahid Rajayi Teacher Training University
Amir Aghayi - Shahid Rajayi Teacher Training University
Farshid Farhadi Ahangaran - Shahid Rajayi Teacher Training University
Mohsen Ghamin - Amirkabir University of Technology
Soroosh Hashempoor - Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Hamed Mohammadi - University of Mazandaran - Released
Arash Pakzad - University of Mazandaran
Hassan Maarefi - University of Mazandaran - Released
Behrang Zandi - University of Mazandaran - Released
Peyman Piran
Majid Ashrafnejad - Shahid Rajayi Teacher Training University
Ali Kalayi - Azad University
Amir Mehrzad
Shoan merikhi- University of Mazandaran
Sara Khademi- University of Mazandaran - Released
Nima Nahvi-Technical University of Babol
Mohammad Saleh Ayuman- Graduate student of Political Science
Sohrab Karimi- Graduate student of Political Science
Farshad Dustipour- Mechanical Engineering
Javad Alizadeh- Graduate Student of Political Science
Parsa kormanjiyan- Azad University of Kermanshah - Released
Alireza Heidari- Azad University of Kermanshah - Released
Bahram Shojaii- Azad University of Tehran
Younes MirHoseini- Bahonar University of Shiraz -Released
Milad Moini – University of Mazandaran - Released