Hassan Khomeini Protests Removals and Appointments at Azad University; Calls for Rouhani’s Intervention

One month after Hamid Mirzadeh’s removal from the presidency of Azad University, Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, sent a letter to Iran’s president calling the change in Azad University’s leadership unlawful and requesting Hassan Rouhani’s intervention.

According to Iranian news agencies, Hassan Khomeini, who is a member of the founding board and board of trustees of Azad University, wrote in a letter dated early Khordad and published Monday, the 8th of Khordad, that the dismissal of Mr. Mirzadeh was suspicious and unlawful, and stated that the appointment of his replacement also took place without voting in the university’s board of trustees.

Following the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of the board of trustees and founding board of Azad Islamic University, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ali Akbar Velayati was appointed as chairman of the founding board, and shortly thereafter members of Azad University’s board of trustees elected Mr. Velayati as chairman of the board of trustees.

Changes at Azad University began following Mr. Velayati’s election, and finally on the third of Esfand it was announced that in an extraordinary meeting of the board of trustees, Ali Mohammad Nourian was selected as acting president of Azad University in place of Hamid Mirzadeh.

The board of trustees had proposed to Mr. Mirzadeh that he resign from his position, but after Mr. Mirzadeh refused to resign, he was dismissed.

Mr. Mirzadeh, who joined Azad University in 1386, was appointed acting president of the university in 1392 by the vote of six members of Azad University’s board of trustees, including Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Hassan Khomeini, Hassan Ghazi Zadeh Hashemi, and Jafar Tofighi, and in November 1392 he officially took over the presidency of Azad Islamic University by vote of members of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

With Mr. Velayati’s arrival at Azad University, gradual changes finally reached Mr. Mirzadeh and he was also dismissed. On Sunday, the 7th of Khordad, it was also reported that Yaser Hashemi, son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was removed from the position of head of Azad University’s board of trustees office.

Now Ayatollah Khomeini’s grandson has deemed the change in Azad University’s presidency suspicious and unlawful, and has asked Hassan Rouhani, who also serves as chairman of the Council of the Cultural Revolution, to intervene in this matter.

Azad Islamic University was established in 1361 at the suggestion of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and with the support of Ayatollah Khomeini.

The university expanded rapidly in the 1970s and established branches in smaller cities.

The financial value of Azad University is estimated to be around forty trillion tomans.

Source: Voice of America