Mohammad Habibi, Imprisoned Teacher, Dismissed from Ministry of Education

Mohammad Habibi, an imprisoned teacher and union activist in the education sector and member of the board of directors of the Teachers Association of Tehran Province, has been dismissed from his position by order of the administrative violations review committee of the Ministry of Education.

The Telegram channel of the Teachers’ Professional Association of Iran announced that this union activist in the education sector, who is serving his sentence in Tehran’s Grand Prison, was dismissed from his teaching position on Tuesday, the 2nd of Ordibehesht by order of the primary review committee for administrative violations in the Ministry of Education, and his dismissal notice was delivered to his wife.

The announcement stated that “this unjust ruling” was issued and confirmed by the appeals court, while throughout the two years of Mohammad Habibi’s detention in prison, “from the minister to his deputies claimed they were pursuing issuing an unpaid leave [for this imprisoned teacher].” However, according to the issued ruling, the reason for the dismissal was the Ministry of Education’s claim regarding his absence over the past two years.

The report stated that with the issuance of this ruling, the government “has intensified the process of suppressing union activists.”

Previously, Voice of America reported that at least 15 teachers’ professional associations in various provinces of Iran, following the widespread outbreak of coronavirus and the danger of infection among prisoners in Iranian prisons, issued a statement on Friday, the 22nd of Farvardin, calling for the immediate release of prisoners including Mohammad Habibi, a union activist in the education sector and member of the board of directors of the Teachers Association of Tehran Province, from prison.

Mohammad Habibi, a teacher imprisoned in Evin Prison, was arrested along with 14 other participants in a gathering held on the 20th of Ordibehesht of 1397 in commemoration of Teachers’ Week in front of the Planning and Budget Organization. After some time, this union activist in the education sector and member of the board of directors of the Teachers Association of Tehran Province was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison and flogging, a sentence that was confirmed by the appeals court.

Source: Voice of America