Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)- A group of students assembled on September 1, 2018, in front of Iran’s Central Bank on Mirdamad Street in Tehran to protest a decision that would deny access to foreign currencies at a special exchange rate.
A memorandum issued by Iran’s Central Bank putting an end to the special, lower exchange rate for certain groups by September 21st has caused discontent among many Iranians. If the decision is carried out, many students, including those studying abroad, will have to pay more than double the rate they have been paying for foreign currencies.
Iran’s government has offered foreign currencies, most notably the American dollar, at a rate less than half of the current market exchange rate. If the decision in the memorandum holds, students will have to buy their foreign currencies on the more expensive open market.
The Iranian currency, known as the rial or toman, has lost more than half of its value since April 2018 alone. The Iranian authorities have continued up until now to offer limited quantities of the US dollar and other currencies at a fixed rate to students and certain importers.
