Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has summoned at least 50 university students in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, since 29 October.
“Some of the students who have gone to the office of the intelligence ministry in the past few days have been threatened and pressured after being interrogated for several hours to end the protests and strikes”, said a student activist of the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.
On 29 October, security forces raided the students’ dormitory and attacked the students’ sit-in protests.
After the attacks, students and professors refused to attend lectures at the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences as a sign of protest.
The students demand safety of the students, the prohibition of the presence of security forces in the education centres and compensation for the damage done by the security forces to the students’ vehicles.
The activist that spoke to the KHRN said that in continuation of the pressures, the disciplinary committee of the university had also threatened some students by phone to suspend them from continuing their studies.
This source added: “In the past few weeks, the responsibility of providing security at the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences has been entrusted to another person named Hodaei. The pressure and threats towards students of the [Kurdistan] University of Medical Sciences are carried out in coordination with the security institutions. Also, during this period, at least three students of this university have been banned from continuing their education for one semester by the disciplinary committee.”
On 29 October, a group of student representatives of the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences published a statement including seven actions taken against the students.
They announced that they would completely boycott all university activities, including lectures and internships until further notice.
The seven points mentioned in the statement are as follows:
- Police officers insulted medical gowns in the gathering of doctors in front of the medical council
- Killing and arresting our colleagues
- Violating equal medical laws for all
- Military attack on 22 Gulan, Fatemieh 3 and Varmaghani dormitories
- Firing bullets and tear gas into the university
- Lack of security for non-local students
- Acting against the promise of the university authorities to protect the safety of students
