Nationwide teachers' rally begins; security situation and at least two arrests in Tehran
As another nationwide gathering of teachers begins in several cities in Iran, reports have been published about the security situation and the arrest of a number of teachers in Tehran.
According to the "Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions," since the early hours of Thursday, May 12, Baharestan Street around the Islamic Consultative Assembly building has been filled with special forces and security force vans, plainclothes officers, and law enforcement.
According to the council, while security forces prevented any gathering from taking place, two protesting teachers, Masoud Farhikhte and Lotfollah Jamshidi, were arrested.
Teachers in Iran have once again protested after the Minister of Education threatened to fire them, and the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence announced on Wednesday the arrest of two citizens of a "European" country in Iran on charges of trying to create "chaos" and claimed that they were in contact with the Coordination Council of Teachers' Unions.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, photos and videos of teachers gathering in dozens of cities across the country, including Amol, Kermanshah, Marivan, and Sanandaj, were published.
The Isfahan Educators' Guild has also reported that a member of this guild, named "Emadi," was arrested by security forces in the city on Wednesday evening, May 11, and after his communication devices were seized, "false" messages with the content "Isfahan Educators' Guild license expired" were sent from his mobile phone and user account to Telegram groups.
The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions announced in a statement on May 7 that if the detained teachers are not released, the teachers will hold a nationwide rally on Thursday, May 12.
Human Rights Watch has put the number of teachers arrested at at least 38, and some sources have reported an increase of up to 70.
The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions announced in a report on Monday, May 9, that the arrested teachers, Rasoul Badaghi, Jafar Ebrahimi, Mohammad Habibi, and Ali Akbar Baghani, "have been subjected to intense interrogations in recent days to insinuate non-union charges."
Teachers have held mass protests in dozens of cities over the past year. The incomplete approval of the teacher ranking plan, the failure to implement equalization of pensioner salaries, and the "continuous and systematic" repression of union activists have been among the headlines of the teachers' protests.
Source: Radio Farda
