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

Solidarity Declaration of the Socialist Students of England

To all concerned

We are writing to protest against the detention of Iranian student activists from December 2 and the repression of their political activities and. Demonstrations for “students day” were recently held in Iran by the Radical Leftist students of Iran at the University of Tehran. Repression of these activities began in the days leading up to the demonstration; many left activists were threatened by the government and were urged not to go ahead with this demonstration
We have reports from Iranian student activists that students have been harassed, arrested and detained by the Iranian government for organising and protesting

Socialist Students stands in solidarity with these student activists and actively supports their right to assemble, organize, and protest and utterly condemns the repression of the Iranian government. Socialist Students is a socialist organization with over 50 groups in universities and colleges across England and Wales we are linked through International Socialist Resistance to groups of students, youth and workers in countries such as Pakistan , Germany, Belgium , USA , Ireland and many more , we will be contacting our comrades in these countries to protest with us against these actions by the Iranian government

Socialists, workers and youth across the world will be appalled and angered at brutal, repressive actions of the Iranian government and will be prepared to act in solidarity with those struggling against this repression
We demand that the Iranian government immediately releases all activists who have been arrested and immediately ceases all harassment of political activists also that activists democratic rights to protest, organise, assemble and demonstrate are upheld

Yours Sincerely
Matt Dobson Socialist Students National Organiser on behalf of Socialist Students

Noam Chomsky condemns the recent arrests of the university students in Iran

Noam Chomsky the American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author and lecturer has condemned the recent arrests of more than 30 university students in Iran by signing the petition sent to him by the “Seeking Committee for the Freedom of University Students”.
These students named “The Equality and Freedom Seeking University Students” celebrated the “University Students’ Day” by having a peaceful rally in the universities of Iran, mainly at the University of Tehran.
The pivot of their rally was opposition to war and sanctions. Some of the slogans and placards in this rally were “No War”, “Equality and Freedom”, “University is not a Garrison”, “Students, Workers Unite”, “The University Students’ Movement is United with Workers’ and Women’s Movements”.

Proclamation

Proclamation of the arrests on the University Students’ Day

On the threshold of the 16th of Azar (December 7) the University Students’ Day in Iran, more than 30 “Equality and Freedom-seeking Students” have been arrested. Surprisingly, 16th of Azar – the symbol of the struggle against dictatorship of the ex-imperial regime – is not tolerated by the Islamic Government either.What has happened during this ceremony – the main pivot of which was the opposition with war and sanction – is the repetition of the same scenes of the previous government.The commemoration of the University Students’ Day is the tradition of more than 50 years and the ones who have been arrested this year are the most honest children of our country. We want the unconditional and immediate release of our captivated students.

Seeking Committee for the Freedom of the University Students

to sign the petition send an email to the following address : seeking.committee@gmail.com *

List of the Arrested Students

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

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

Arash Pakzad - University of Mazandaran

Hassan Maarefi - University of Mazandaran

Behrang Zandi - University of Mazandaran

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
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
Alireza Heidari- Azad University of Kermanshah

Bahram Shojaii- Azad University of Tehran