Expulsion of Two Student Activists from Mazandaran Universities

An informed student activist told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that two Mazandaran Province political student activists were expelled from university. The students are Kaveh Daneshvar, a student at Babol Noshirvani Industrial University, and Behnam Farazmand, a student at Mazandaran University.

Behnam Farazmand is a student activist and member of the Mazandaran University Islamic Students Association. He was twice arrested by Mazandaran security forces during post-election events and has been suspended for three terms. The source told the Campaign that Farazmand is awaiting a court ruling. Mazandaran University authorities did not allow Farazmand to enroll in classes this fall and he was dismissed on orders from the University Chancellor.

Kaveh Daneshvar is the former secretary of the Student Guild Council of Noshirvani University. Daneshvar previously went on strike to protest the widespread arrests of Noshirvani University student activists. He was interrogated after being summoned to the Intelligence Office of Babol. Daneshvar was suspended for two semesters by the Disciplinary Committee of Noshirvani University and immediately expelled by the university chancellor after his suspension was over. After appealing the decision, Daneshvar was officially expelled from the Ministry of Science in October 2010.

Emad Bahavar, Ashkan Zahabyan, Sarah Khademi, Siavash Salimi Nejad, and Iman Sedighi are five other student activists from the two universities who received their expulsion sentences in spring 2010. With the commencement of the new academic year, pressure and repression in these two universities has intensified to the point that seven student activists have been expelled by Dr. Janalizadeh, Chancellor of Noshirvani University, and Dr. Ahmadpour, Chancellor of Mazandaran University. A great number of other students have been summoned to the Intelligence Units of their respective universities