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Iranwire – Mojtaba Pourbakhsh, a prominent Iranian sports presenter and university lecturer, has been sacked from Tehran’s Azad University, as the authorities intensify their crackdown on academics supporting the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement.
Pourbakhsh shared on his Instagram account on September 5 the official termination notice issued by the Ministry of Science.
In a message accompanying the document, he expressed his gratitude to the “distinguished individuals within the field of sports science who provided him with the unique opportunity to engage in classroom teaching” at the university.
Pourbakhsh, known for producing and hosting programs on state-run Sports TV, has been an outspoken supporter of the nationwide protests sparked by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022.
The authorities, fearing a flare up in protests ahead of the first anniversary of Amini’s death, have ramped up their crackdown against activists, journalists and families of those killed in the widespread demonstrations.
As a new academic year begins later in September, officials are also increasingly purging the ranks of university professors.
According to the Etemad newspaper, more than 50 of them were fired from their positions during the first two years of Ebrahim Raisi’s presidency.
