silenced, expelled, imprisoned Repression of students and academics in iran
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.
Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations.
First published in June 2014 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom
© Amnesty International 2014
Index: MDE 13/015/2014 English Original language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom
All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. The copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications, or for translat ion or adaptation, prior writ ten permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries, please contact copyright@amnesty.org
Cover photo: Iranian high school students sit for their university entrance examination in Tehran on June 25, 2009. Many students and university lecturers were arrested and jailed following mass protests against the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier that month. © MONA HOOBEHFEKR/AFP/Getty Images
amnesty.org
CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
SUMMARY OF Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to: ……………………………… 10
About this report …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
2. BACKGROUND ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
The Islamic Revolution to the election of Mohammad Khatami, 1979-1997 ………………. 13
Mohammad Khatami’s era, 1997- 2005 …………………………………………………………………. 14
3. HIGHER EDUCATION IN IRAN ……………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Administration of higher education ……………………………………………………………………….. 17
Admission of students …………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Rules and discipline …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
Mechanisms of repression ……………………………………………………………………………………. 20
4. DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER AND RELIGION ……………………………………………… 21
Discrimination on grounds of gender …………………………………………………………………….. 22
LIMITING women’s access to higher education ……………………………………………………….. 24
Educational apartheid – keeping the sexes apart ……………………………………………………. 27
Discrimination based on religious belief or affiliation ……………………………………………… 28
5. ACADEMIC FREEDOM UNDER ATTACK …………………………………………………………………… 31
Resurgent “Islamicization” …………………………………………………………………………………… 37
Targeting the humanities …………………………………………………………………………………. 37
Tightening the rules on WOMEN’S dress ……………………………………………………………. 39
Targeting STUDENT activists: “starring”, suspension and expulsion …………………………. 41
Arrests, torture and imprisonment ……………………………………………………………………….. 46
Flogging …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 66
Imprisonment of academics …………………………………………………………………………………. 66
Academic purges ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 72
6. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK …………………………………………………………………………………….. 79
International law …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 79
Non-discrimination and the right to education …………………………………………………….. 79
The RIGHT TO Academic freedom ……………………………………………………………………… 81
Freedom of thought and expresson …………………………………………………………………… 83
Freedom of assembly and association ……………………………………………………………….. 84
Administration of justice …………………………………………………………………………………… 85
Due process of law and fair trial rights ………………………………………………………………. 85
Freedom from torture ………………………………………………………………………………………. 85
Right to A remedy ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 86
Iranian law …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 87
Constitutional safeguards …………………………………………………………………………………. 87
Freedom of opinion and expression …………………………………………………………………… 87
Freedom of Association and Assembly ……………………………………………………………….. 87
Right to non-discrimination ……………………………………………………………………………….. 87
Freedom of religion ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 88
Administration of Justice …………………………………………………………………………………… 88
Safeguards against torture ……………………………………………………………………………….. 89
7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ……………………………………………………………….. 90
Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 90
To the Iranian authorities …………………………………………………………………………………….. 90
Right to higher education and academic freedom ……………………………………………….. 91
Freedom of expression, association and assembly ………………………………………………. 91
Discrimination ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 92
Administration of justice …………………………………………………………………………………… 92
Prevention of torture and other ill-treatment ………………………………………………………. 93
Right to a remedy for violations ……………………………………………………………………….. 94
International human rights bodies ……………………………………………………………………… 94
To the international community ……………………………………………………………………………. 94
