Unprecedented Death Sentence for Christian Pastor on Charge of Apostasy

(7 December 2010) The Supreme Court of Iran should immediately reverse the apostasy conviction and death sentence of Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and release him from prison, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. The judiciary should also release another pastor, Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, who faces a similar prosecution.

Nadarkhani, who became a Christian at age 19, is a member of the Church of Iran ministry and the pastor of an approximately 400-person congregation in the northern city of Rasht. Despite being sentenced to death for apostasy, no articles in Iranian legal code refer to such a crime.

Seyed Ziaoddin (Zia) Nabavi

Seyed Ziaoddin (Zia) Nabavi, a Chemical Engineering student, enrolled in Babol Noshirvani University of Technology in 2002. Between 2003 and 2007, with direct student votes, Nabavi was elected a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Association of the university. He was arrested after security forces stormed the university at night on 5 June [...]

Barring Students from Higher Education on Political and Religious Grounds

(4 December 2010) The Iranian government should immediately end its policy of depriving university students of higher education based on their political or religious beliefs, and respect their freedom of expression and conscience, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today with the publication of a new report, “Punishing Stars: Systematic Discrimination and Exclusion in Iranian Higher Education.”

The report, based on interviews with 27 students barred from higher education, is being released on the occasion of National Student Day in Iran, 7 December.

Punishing Stars: Systematic Discrimination and Exclusion in Iranian Higher Education

The Campaign has interviewed 27 students and conducted source research in this comprehensive report on systematic discrimination and exclusion from higher education in Iran. The report includes a list of 217 students who were barred or expelled from university based on activity on campus, political opinions, or religious belief.

Violations of International Law

Next Section: Recommendations Human Rights Treaty Obligations Iran ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1975 and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1975.1 Together, these treaties obligate the Iranian government to respect freedom of opinion, expression, association, religion, the right to education and the right [...]

List of 217 Students Barred from Higher Education from 2005 to November 2010

Back to table of contents This is a partial list of students deprived of higher education in the past six years. The true numbers are believed to be much higher. During the past months, in addition to interviewing several barred university applicants, conducting extensive research, and accessing information gathered by credible student organizations that have [...]

Recommendations

Next Section: List of 217 Barred and Expelled Students Back to table of contents To the Government of Iran: • Ensure students and university applicants can exercise their right to expression, association, assembly and religious freedom without interference by authorities and without having fear of persecution, arrests or being expelled or denied university admissions. • [...]

Executive Summary

Back to table of contents The Admissions Process and Systematic Banning of Students The Role of Disciplinary Committees In Their Own Words: Testimonies of Banned Students From Denial to Acknowledgment Recommendations Soon after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became President of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005, the term “starred students” entered Iranian discourse on higher education. [...]

Background

After three decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s human rights record has generated notable concern amongst United Nations human rights bodies, international NGOs, foreign governments including Iran’s diplomatic partners, and a broad spectrum of Iranian civil society.1 Since the 2005 presidential election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the government’s human rights record has further deteriorated.2 During Ahmadinejad’s [...]

Background of Starred Student Controversy

Next Section: Regulatory Framework for Denial of Education Back to table of contents Starring Gains Public Exposure In September 2006, a year after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election as President, a public controversy arose over allegations by some students that the Ministry of Science was depriving qualified applicants of admission to graduate and post-graduate studies on political, [...]