Opposition supporters demonstrate at Tehran University in December 2009.
October 18, 2010
Former university professor Saba Vafa and student activist Salman Sima are casualties of the Iranian state's campaign to purge universities of dissenting voices.
In the aftermath of the country's contentious presidential election in June 2009, Vafa, a professor of literature at Shahid University, was fired. The reason: politically interpreting literary texts and fomenting "moral corruption" among students.
Sima has found himself jailed twice and most recently saw an appellate court uphold a six-year prison sentence against him.
The two exemplify the pressure that has come to bear on universities in relation to the prominent role played by students in mass protests over President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's reelection.
The tactics used to keep universities in check have transformed over the months. In the initial days of the protests, pro-government forces reacted violently. The dorm of Tehran University was one of the first targets, with five students reportedly killed and many injured. Students were among those killed in street protests and at least three are reported to have died after being tortured at the Kahrizak detention center outside the Iranian capital.
The next stage involved the sentencing of dozens of students to lengthy jail terms or their banishment from future education.
Today, the country's institutes of higher learning are working under heightened scrutiny, with a heavy police presence keeping a close eye on students and professors alike.
In the aftermath of the country's contentious presidential election in June 2009, Vafa, a professor of literature at Shahid University, was fired. The reason: politically interpreting literary texts and fomenting "moral corruption" among students.
Sima has found himself jailed twice and most recently saw an appellate court uphold a six-year prison sentence against him.
The two exemplify the pressure that has come to bear on universities in relation to the prominent role played by students in mass protests over President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's reelection.
The tactics used to keep universities in check have transformed over the months. In the initial days of the protests, pro-government forces reacted violently. The dorm of Tehran University was one of the first targets, with five students reportedly killed and many injured. Students were among those killed in street protests and at least three are reported to have died after being tortured at the Kahrizak detention center outside the Iranian capital.
The next stage involved the sentencing of dozens of students to lengthy jail terms or their banishment from future education.
Today, the country's institutes of higher learning are working under heightened scrutiny, with a heavy police presence keeping a close eye on students and professors alike.