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Iranwire – When a Tehran official said on August 10 that university classes might be held online for the first 10 days of the next academic year to reduce the traffic load in the capital, Iranians discerned another reason for the plan.
Over the past weeks, officials of the Islamic Republic have warned against a resurgence of widespread protests around the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody on September 16, which will coincide with the reopening of universities.
Universities have been protest hotspots, with many students refusing to attend classes for weeks in defiance of the authorities’ warnings.
Amid a brutal state crackdown on dissent, the women-led protest movement appears to have waned in recent months, but resistance to forced hijab and gender segregation in universities remains strong.
Universities – and schools – are set to reopen on September 23, and Mehdi Golshani, the director-general of Public Transport and Regional Affairs at Tehran Municipality, spoke about ongoing discussions about “making university activities online until October 2,” according to local media.
“We are currently engaged in consultations and correspondence with experts in higher education to transition university activities to online formats during the first 10 days of the classes,” he also said.
A final decision has not been reached yet, the official added.
The announcement comes days after Mustafa Rostami, the head representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in universities, warned on July 21 that university campuses could serve as catalysts for renewed protests.
Reports have emerged in recent weeks of university students and professors being banned and suspended by the authorities ahead of Amini’s death anniversary and the reopening of academic institutions.
The Ministry of Intelligence is reportedly summoning students via telephone to provide written commitments to refrain from participating in protests in the future.
“The intent behind these measures is to deter student protests and instill a sense of fear among the student community,” the Council of Student Unions said in a recent report.
Nearly 800 students have been arrested since the eruption of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement, activists say. Many have faced sentences including imprisonment and flogging, while others have been expelled from universities or suspended from their studies. Dozens of professors have been sacked from their academic posts for supporting student protests.
