Hundreds of students protested the issuance of judicial sentences and imprisonment of student activists in Iran
A group of students at the University of Tehran protested the issuance of judicial sentences against student activists by publishing a letter to Mansour Gholami, the Minister of Science, Research and Technology.
According to the Iranian Student Union Councils, 500 students at the University of Tehran protested in a letter to Mansour Gholami, Minister of Science, Research and Technology, against the total of 70 years in prison sentences issued to thirteen students at the university, including Marzieh Amiri, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Kasri Nouri, and Ruhollah Mardani.
Referring to the severe judicial treatment of students since October 2017, precisely since Mansour Gholami was appointed to the ministry, these students announced that student union activists throughout Iran and other activists have been sentenced to long-term imprisonment due to their rightful protests and are being sent to prison one after another to endure these cruel sentences.
According to protesting students, criticizing the appointment of Mansour Gholami as Minister of Science, which is included as an example of the accusation in the students' sentences, is undoubtedly more painful than "being beaten at the university."
Part of this letter states, "We, a group of students from the University of Tehran, while condemning these repressions in the form of inhuman and illegal arrests, sentences, and deprivations, and based on your legal position, we hold you and the Ministry of Science primarily responsible for this unfortunate situation for the University of Tehran and other universities in the country. We hereby demand the immediate release of the detained students of this university, the cancellation of all sentences issued, and the lifting of all deprivations that have occurred for their education."
Marzieh Amiri, a senior sociology student at the University of Tehran and one of the students mentioned in the letter, who went to the Vazra Detention Center in May of this year to follow up on the situation of those detained on International Labor Day, was arrested and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, and her court hearing was recently held.
Leila Hosseinzadeh, another student mentioned in the letter, was also arrested during the January 2017 protests and sentenced to six years in prison in the first instance on charges of "propaganda against the system," "action against national security," and "disturbing public order and peace by participating in illegal gatherings." This sentence was changed to 30 months in prison in the appeals court.
Ruhollah Mardani was also arrested on February 18, 2017 and sentenced by the first instance court to a total of six years in prison and two years of social deprivation on charges of "gathering and colluding to commit crimes against internal security and propaganda activities against the regime."
In July of last year, Human Rights Watch issued a statement announcing that Iranian authorities had intensified their repression of protesting students by issuing prison sentences and placing restrictions on peaceful activities.
The US State Department has also repeatedly condemned the violent confrontations and widespread repression of protesters and opponents of the regime under various pretexts, as well as the repeated and persistent violations of the rights of Iranian citizens by the ruling regime in that country.
Source: Voice of America
