[By IHRV | June 9, 2008->http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=296#more-296]
tarbiat-moalem.jpgWhat happened in the nine days for the students of Tarbiatmoalem University who took sanctuary in an inviolable place?
The refuge of the students of Tarbiatmoallem University goes on to its ninth day. What has happened during this time? More than 125 persons are on hunger strike, an increase from the original 50 who began their hunger strikes. As students begin their ninth day of refuge:
1- For two days water has been denied to them.
2- The students are forbidden from having any communication with
those outside.
3- Students’ families have been threatened with jail.
4- Students have been accused of rioting and provoking hostility.
5- Those students who are in bad health conditions have only one type
of medicine to use and they cannot leave the university. Even a young girl who was unconscious could not go to the hospital.
6- Authorities are trying to frighten these students with noises and alarms in the night.
7- Lastly, security forces have blocked off the university.
What the students who have taken sanctuary want is:
1- Dismissal of the deputy of student affairs for actions that disrespected the student body.
2- Dismissal of the deputy of cultural affairs, who is a member of the traditional clergy, and should be in the seminary school rather than the university for his the extremist approach to certain issues. Some of his actions in the university so far have been:
a. Prohibition of musical performance of any kind
b. Ban of any mix-gender trips or activities, whether academic or social, except for basij members on pilgrimage
3- Reopening the central portion of the library that student used to be able to utilize for reading and studying, but where these are now forbidden
4- Improvement of food and sanitation conditions. (Female students say that the bad quality of food in the university has led to stomach aches and other kinds of illness).
5- Improvement of the conditions of student dormitories. (has not the first things for living)
6- Written apologies by the chiefs of the university to the families who insulted and harassed.
7- Cease summoning students involved in these protests to the disciplinary committee (komite enzebati ). The president of the university is trying to put pressure on the students and discourage them from their activities by summoning them to and punishing them in this committee.
Some of the slogans of these students protest against the university authorities, demand their resignations and call upon them to stop summoning students to the disciplinary committee.
Around noon of the 6th day of these protests, a disciplinary committee employee presented an order that punished two students with suspension of their studies for 2 terms, but did so at a time when the disciplinary committee was not in session and presented this in the absence of these students.
