Turmoil in Iran Extends to Universities
The violent suppression of protests in the aftermath of the 12th June general election has spread to university campuses across the country. Reports have emerged about an attack on Tehran University dormitories and several universities in the outside provinces have also suffered disturbances.
Local and foreign media have reported that Basij forces invaded dormitories at Tehran University on 14th June, attacking students and burning bedrooms. Amateur film footage of that attack appears to show black-clothed Basij militia members armed with sticks and other weapons chasing students. Reuters reported that four students - three men and one woman - were killed during the assault on the dormitory.
There have also been reports of violent attacks by security forces on demonstrators and students in the provincial towns of Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz, Bandar Abbas, and Mashhad. According to Human Rights Watch, the Iranian government has attempted to suppress news from those towns by shutting down communication networks and banning reporters from traveling outside Tehran. International journalists who were present in provincial capitals say that the crackdown in those towns has been even more violent than in Tehran.
An Iranian student website claimed that the entire chemistry department at Tehran’s Sharif University – one of the country’s most prestigious institutions – resigned en masse in protest against the recent crimes and attacks. The move came after the earlier resignation of some 120 lecturers at Tehran University and academic staff at Amirkabir University.
NEAR would like to clarify that Iran is bound by international human rights law, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which it ratified in 1975. Under the covenant, Iran is required to recognize and protect key human rights, including peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
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Alert - Iran
| Date: | 22 June 2009 |
| Source: | Human Rights Watch |
| Classification: | NEAR Member |
| Violation: | Violent Suppression of Protests |
| Affected Persons: | Students and Academics |
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