Urgent Call to Action (Feb. 1st, 2023): The Free Iran Scholars Network Demands an End to Human Rights Violations Against Iranian University Students and Professors
The Free Iran Scholars Network is deeply disturbed by the ongoing human rights violations against Iranian university students and professors. To protect the rights and well-being of the Iranian students and professors, we urgently call upon academic organizations and governments all over the world to take immediate and decisive action.
The recent arrest of at least 712 students and faculty members in Iran, with the actual number believed to be much higher, is a clear violation of their human rights and an unacceptable infringement on their basic freedoms. Reports of disciplinary action against students in the form of expulsion, widespread arrests and abuse once they are detained, including the denial of medical treatment and torture, require immediate attention. The efforts of Iranian authorities to block independent media and researchers make it difficult to fully understand the extent of the situation.
The Free Iran Scholars Network stands in solidarity with the students and professors of Iran and demands an end to attacks on these institutions and the immediate stop to the systemic human rights violations against them. We strongly condemn the violation of the sanctity of the universities, the violent suppression of freedom of expression and peaceful protests and calls for the immediate release of all detained students and faculty. The international community has a moral obligation to protect the rights and well-being of these students and professors, and we call on academic institutions and governments around the world to do everything in their power to ensure their safety.
We demand an end to the violence, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual abuse, and denial of medical treatment, against Iranian students and professors and demand retribution upon their release.
We urge governments around the world to communicate the consequences of further diplomatic and economic isolation if the violence against Iranian academic communities continues.
We call for the basic rights and freedoms of Iranian students and professors to be respected and upheld, free from fear of arrest, violence, or other forms of mistreatment or retribution.