According to student organizations and human rights groups, attacks on universities intensified this week as young people gathered to mark 40 days since the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police in September. The death of the 22-year-old woman sparked eight weeks of nationwide protests against the regime. The highly symbolic 40th day traditionally marks the end of mourning. The Students Union of Iran has documented more than 40 arrests of university students and compiles reports of detentions and campus raids by security forces across the country on its Telegram channel. The Norway-based Hengaw Human Rights Group, which reports on Kurdish areas in western Iran, said the fate of dozens of youths arrested last week and dozens more detained by security forces for taking part in earlier protests remained unknown. . Anousheh*, a university student in Tehran, told the Guardian she was violently attacked by security forces last weekend as she left her university campus. “One of my best friends was arrested off campus this weekend and I still don’t know where he is,” she said. “[After the protests] the security forces were waiting for the students to come out of the university and started beating us with batons. “We all ran for our lives,” Anousheh said. “We have been warned by our faculty to stop the demonstrations immediately to avoid arrests [but] we don’t stop”. University students in Mashhad also said they were attacked by security forces this week, with videos appearing online showing plainclothes police dragging students into vehicles. Karim* said he was part of a group of about 200 students who had gathered on October 26 to mark the 40th day of mourning for Mahsa Amini. Moments after his arrival, Karim claims security forces locked the gates and blocked the exits. Students were arrested and beaten as they tried to leave, he said. “After three hours, with security forces using tear gas and batons, I managed to get out, but at least seven of my friends have been detained this week. Once they are taken, no one knows where they are. University officials are powerless,” he said. “I don’t know a single friend who hasn’t witnessed a kidnapping, arrest, or helped save an injured friend. The student unions here in Mashhad believe that at least 50 students have been arrested in our city alone.” Another student from Mashhad, who said he was attacked on October 29 while participating in a demonstration, said security forces beat youths unconscious and denied them access to medical care. “One of my closest friends was beaten so badly that I spent the last four days taking care of him in the hospital,” she said. “We waited hours to enter the university and take him to the hospital. “I know more students have been arrested throughout the week. We don’t know where they are or if they are safe. The next time they lock us up, they’ll kill dozens of us.” Subscribe to Global Dispatch Get a different view of the world with a collection of the best news, features and images, curated by our global development team Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Some students who were arrested at the beginning of the protests have not been notified after their arrest. According to the student union, a young woman, Zainab Nasiri, a sociology student from Isfahan University was reportedly arrested on October 2 outside her home and taken to Dolatabad prison. It is not known what happened to her or what charges she is facing. As of October 30, Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 308 students had been arrested by regime forces since the protests began. The Iran Human Rights Group (IHRNGO) condemned the mass arrests and “violation” on university campuses by Iranian security forces. The group said special police forces – plainclothes officers who were allegedly armed – “attacked and kidnapped students from their dormitories”. IHRNGO warned that dozens of protesters, including university students, could be executed after Iranian authorities began charging detainees with security-related offences, including “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “corruption in the land” ( efsad-fil-arz). Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), said in a statement: “Issuing death sentences against protesters – after Iranian authorities illegally arrested tens of thousands of peaceful protesters and killed hundreds indiscriminately used lethal force to crackdown on protests – is a blatant attempt to terrorize the Iranian people into silence. it will cement the Islamic Republic’s status as an illegitimate state that has no respect for law or life.” On October 31, the head of the judiciary in Tehran province said they had issued at least 1,000 indictments against those arrested on charges related to the protests. According to latest reports, at least 277 people, including 40 children, have been killed in the nationwide protests. According to human rights groups, Nazila Maroufian, a Tehran-based journalist from Mahsa Amini’s hometown, was also arrested and taken to Evin prison in Tehran after publishing an interview with Amini’s father on the Mostaghel Online news website. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 51 journalists have been arrested in the crackdown, with 14 confirmed to have been released on bail so far. Names have been changed to protect identities.
