IRAN: Universities punish students who disputed vote

Iranian universities have begun disciplining and suspending students who took part in street protests after the disputed presidential election in June, reformist websites reported last weekend, writes Robert F Worth for The New York Times. The new disciplinary actions came as officials reported that a presidential panel has begun an investigation of humanities curricula at universities.

For weeks, the authorities have voiced concern about the possibility of renewed protests as students return for the new semester which begins on 23 September. Some of the worst clashes during the post-election protests took place at universities in Tehran and elsewhere.

Recently five students at the University of Mashad who had openly supported an opposition candidate were arrested with no official explanation, several websites reported. The new disciplinary actions have taken place at universities in Tehran, Tabriz and Shiraz, where the Intelligence Ministry forwarded the names of politically active students to university authorities, according to a report on the Peykiran website that named several students.
Full report on the New York Times site