Six More Shiraz University Students Detained

Shiraz University

(12 January 2009) Six more students from Shiraz University were detained, after they appeared at the Intelligence Office in Shiraz following official summonses, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today.

The newly detained students are among 10 who were summoned on 5 January. Six of those who appeared at the Intelligence Office were detained and another, Mahboubeh Khademi, was allowed to leave. The six detained students have had no contact with their families.

Intelligence agents detained Saied Khalatbari, Enayat Taghavi, Abbas Rahmati, and Ahmad Kohansal on 10 January, and Hadi Alamli and Arash Roustaiee on 12 January. Four other students, detained on 3 January, have been released on heavy bails during the past two days.“We are appealing to the authorities to stop polluting the academic environment with persecution and fear,” stated Hadi Ghaemi, the spokesperson of the Campaign. “Iran’s universities cannot preserve intellectual traditions and prepare leaders for the future if students are subjected to political interference and manipulation,” he said.

On 11 January, Mohsen Zarinkamar and Kazem Rezaiee were released on 60 million Tomann ($60,000) and 50 million Toman ($50,000) bail respectively. Loghman Ghadiri Goltapeh and Abdoljalil Rezaiee were released on January 12 on a bail of 50 million Toman ($50,000) each.

All of the summoned and detained students faced new charges of “Acting against national security” and “Insulting the authorities.” One of the students at the University of Shiraz told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, “Changing the charges from simply attending the assemblies at the university to causing rioting and chaos and finally acting against national security, indicates that the University as an academic institution does not run independently and intelligence forces are dominant.”

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran once again reminded Iranian authorities of their international obligation to respect academic freedom, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees. The Campaign emphasized that the politically-motivated persecution and prosecution of students should halt, and rights to free association, free peaceful assembly and free expression should be respected.

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For more information regarding recent events at Shiraz University see:

Release Detainees and Stop Persecution of Students at Shiraz University