Dean of Economics Faculty at Allameh Tabatabai University Dismissed Over Book Launch of Deceased Political Prisoner

According to IRNA news agency, Hossein Salimi, president of Allameh Tabatabai University, dismissed Hassan Taei, dean of the economics faculty, following “controversy over the launch of a book” and his farewell ceremony was held on Thursday, June 26.

On June 22 of this year, a ceremony was held to launch the book “Collapse” by Hedi Saber at the economics faculty of Allameh Tabatabai University, where Saeed Madani, a sociologist, and Farhad Momeni, a faculty member of the university, delivered speeches. Social media reports indicated that the speech was held with a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of 2009.

Hedi Saber, a political prisoner, died on June 21, 2011 after being beaten by prison officers while severely weakened from a hunger strike.

Saeed Madani, a writer and sociologist, was also sentenced in 2011 by branch 36 of the Revolutionary Court to six years in prison and 10 years of exile to Bandar Abbas.

The appointment of Hossein Salimi as president of Allameh Tabatabai University by Jafar Tofighi, then acting minister of science under Hassan Rouhani’s government in 2013, was met with extensive propaganda by government supporters, who viewed it as a step toward removing the university from a security-oriented atmosphere. However, criticism of him on social networks has recently increased.

Source: Voice of America