The Right to Education Council, a student run campaign, has released a statement objecting to the continued arrests of students and education bans placed on youth because of their beliefs. The statement comes two years after leading student activist Majid Dorri was imprisoned. The Council demanded respect for the constitution and to international commitments from Iranian authorities and called for an end to the deprivation of education to “starred” student activists. The Council further demanded the release of imprisoned students who were arrested for demanding their basic right of education, and to facilitate the return of starred and banned students to their education. The Council asserted that banning students from their higher education is a criminal act according to Iranian and international law, and demanded trials for those who ordered and implemented such bans. In its report, Punishing Stars: Systematic Discrimination and Exclusion in Iranian Higher Education, the Campaign interviewed and outlined the manner in which higher education bans are implemented by the Islamic Republic.

“Over the past six years and since the Ahmadinejad government came to power…thousands of this country’s best talents have been deprived from their right to education in different ways, only because of their peaceful objections to being deprived of their rights and sometimes just for having an opposing thought or one different from that of the regime’s,” the statement said.  The Council asked all students who have been banned from continuing their higher education due to political reasons or because of their conscience to insist on pursuing their rights through legal means.

The statement provides the names of dozens of students banned from continuing their education and imprisoned.