Majid Tavakoli’s Family Unable to Visit Him Due to Distance

The family of Majid Tavakoli, an imprisoned student who was arrested on National Student Day 2009 (7 December) at Amirkabir University of Technology, has not received any news from him for several months. His family lives in the city of Shiraz and has been unable to travel to Karaj to visit him. Last week, Tavakoli issued a message for Student Day.

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.

Mashad Student Activist Ali Gholizadeh Arrested

Ali Gholizadeh, a student activist, was arrested by authorities last Friday in his father’s home. The news of his arrest was confirmed by his mother in an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Gholizadeh is a member of Daftar Tahkim-e Vahdat student organization and has been deprived from continuing his education. “Today at noon, two men came and said that they were Intelligence forces, and want to take Ali for a few questions. They said they would return him before night. It is nighttime now, and there is no news from my child,” the student activist’s mother told the Campaign.

High School Student and Blogger in Solitary Confinement for over 30 Days

Blogger and high school student Navid Mohebbi’s remains in solitary confinement thirty-five days after his arrest pending clarification of his case, a local source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Mohebbi’s charges have not yet been determined by Mazandaran Province judicial authorities. His family and lawyer, Mina Jafari, have not been able to visit with him.

Continuing Persecution of Student Alumni Group

(19 November 2009) Iranian authorities have arbitrarily arrested another member of the leading student alumni group ADVAR, and sentenced its spokesperson to an eight-year prison term, while other detained members are being mistreated, unfairly tried and sentenced to jail terms, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today.

“We deplore the continuing abuse of the human rights of ADVAR members, who are being persecuted in an apparent attempt to prevent a new generation of Iranians from freely thinking and working together,” said Hadi Ghaemi, a spokesperson for the Campaign.