Samin Nessari has been suspended for 1.5 years
Two female students, Samin Nessari and Saba Eskandari, have been temporarily banned from studying. Samin Nessari, a history undergraduate student at Kharazmi University in Tehran, has been sentenced by the university’s disciplinary committee to a one-and-a-half-year suspension from education. Samin Nessari had also lost her previous semester because she was banned from entering the university.
Furthermore, Saba Eskandari, a counseling and guidance student at the University of Tehran, has been deprived of education for 2.5 years by the university’s preliminary council on charges of not observing compulsory hijab.
Universities were at the forefront of the anti-regime protests during the 2022-2023 uprising. Consequently, the regime has stepped up pressure on universities under the pretext of enforcing the compulsory hijab.
The confrontations with students have escalated to such an extent that students are promptly summoned and face expulsion or suspension from education if they fail to comply with the compulsory dress code or participate in any protest or gathering.
On the other hand, the mullahs’ regime intends to shut down 82% of universities as part of its repressive measures against students. Mohammad Mehdi Dehghan, one of the officials from the Ministry of Science, stated, “Currently, there are 2,183 higher education institutions in Iran. However, the number is expected to be ultimately reduced to 400 universities. Only 18% of the existing educational centers will continue their activities, while 82% will be closed or merged.” (The state-run Tejaratnews.com, June 21, 2023)