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 مصاحبه اخیر دکتر انسیه عرفانی با ایران وایر را اینجا بخوانید.

۸ فروردین ۱۴۰۴

سینا قنبرپور

«انسیه عرفانی» نخستین عضو معترض هیات علمی دانشگاه در ایران به مرگ مهسا امینی در بازداشت گشت ارشاد نیروی انتظامی، به تازگی جایزه «آزادی علمی و مسئولیت‌پذیری » انجمن پیشبرد علوم آمریکا را دریافت کرده‌است.

عرفانی به موارد متعددی از نقض آزادی‌های آکادمیک در ایران پرداخته و به ایران‌وایر توضیح می‌دهد:‌ «من عضو هیئت مدیره انجمن نجوم ایران هم بوده‌ام اما شما نه به عنوان متخصص نجوم و نه به عنوان عضو انجمن نجوم نمی‌توانید درباره استهلال اظهارنظر کنید. این تنها نمونه نیست. در مواردی مثل کرونایاب که به طنز تلخ دوره شیوع کووید تبدیل شد یا ساخت واکسن کرونا یا اظهارنظر درباره علم کوانتوم که در نهایت انجمن فیزیک نسبت به آن موضع گرفت.»

او پس از استعفا از دانشگاه علوم پایه زنجان با همراهی دانشگاهیان خارج از ایران «کانون بین‌المللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی» را تاسیس و در قالب آن به مستندنگاری خشونت علیه دانشگاهیان معترض و دانشجویان به ویژه در جریان «زن، زندگی، آزادی» کرد و گزارش‌های مختلفی به نهادهای حقوق بشری از جمله موسسه «محققان در خطر» ارائه کرده‌است. 

عرفانی که متولد ۱۳۶۲ در تبریز است، در همین شهر فیزیک را در مقطع کارشناسی پشت سر گذاشت و سپس کارشناسی ارشد خود را با گرایش گرانش در دانشگاه شهید مدنی آذربایجان طی کرد. او سپس دوره پیش‌دکتری خود را در مرکز بین‌المللی فیزیک نظری تریسته ایتالیا گذراند و در مقطع دکتری با موضوع «سیاهچاله‌های اولیه تورم و ماده تاریک» در دانشگاه بن آلمان فارغ‌التحصیل شد. سپس از سال ۱۳۹۱ به عضویت هیات علمی دانشگاه علوم پایه زنجان درآمد. 

عرفانی در این گفتگو علاوه بر مسیری که پس از تبعید خودخواسته خود طی کرده به سختی‌هایی اشاره می‌کند که به عنوان یک عضو جامعه آکادمیک ایران حتی دسترسی به سابقه فعالیت‌های علمی خود  ندارد زیرا دانشگاه همه سوابق او را بلاک کرده‌است. 

او که ۱۱ ماه به عنوان تنها زن عضو هیئت مدیره انجمن نجوم ایران فعالیت کرده می‌گوید:‌«مایه شرمساری است که در سیستم علمی کشور به مردان بگویید ازدواج کنید و فرزندآوری کنید می‌توانید ارتقاء پیدا کنید در حالی که می‌دانیم به دنیا آمدن فرزند زندگی آکادمیک زنان را بیشتر تحت تاثیر قرار می‌دهد و این یعنی کار علمی کمتر و مشغله بیشتر.»

چرا جایزه آزادی علمی و مسئولیت‌پذیری به عرفانی اعطا شد؟

جایزه آزادی علمی و مسئولیت‌پذیری هر ساله انجمن «پیشبرد علوم آمریکا» از سال ۱۸۴۸ تاسیس شده و به واسطه حمایت از دانشمندان،‌ به پیشرفت علم در جهان کمک می‌کند. هدف این سازمان، تنظیم و کمک به پیشبرد علم در جهان از طرق متفاوت آموزشی و حمایت مستقیم از دانشمندان است.

 این انجمن ‌ناشر مجله معروف «ساینس» است و بیش از ۱۲۰ هزار نفر عضو دارد. جالب اینجاست که در سال ۲۰۰۸ میلادی «گلن شوایتزر» مدیر این انجمن در تهران دو بار در هتل محل اقامت خود مورد بازداشت و بازجویی نیروهای امنیتی قرار گرفت. 

انجمن پیشبرد علوم آمریکا در سال ۲۰۱۴ جایزه آزادی علمی و مسئولیت‌پذیری خود را به دکتر «امید کوکبی» دانشجوی فیزیک شاخه لیزر و اپتیک اعطا کرد که در همان زمان در ایران بازداشت بود. 

کوکبی سال ۱۳۸۹ وقتی برای دیدار خانواده‌اش به ایران آمده بود هنگام بازگشت بازداشت شد. او پس از ۱۵ ماه بازداشت موقت در ایران، توسط قاضی صلواتی محاکمه و در اردبیهشت‌ماه ۹۱، به اتهام «ارتباط با دولت‌های متخاصم» و «کسب درآمد نامشروع» به ۱۰ سال حبس محکوم شد.

حال بار دیگر جایزه آزادی علمی و مسئولیت‌پذیری به یک فیزیک‌دان ایرانی اعطا شده‌است. انسیه عرفانی به ایران‌وایر تاکید می‌کند که گرچه فیزیک خوانده بوده و کار علمی انجام می‌داده اما نه رشته‌اش و نه شاخه‌ای که در آن تخصص گرفته بوده هیچ ربطی به سیاست نداشته‌ و هیچ‌گاه فکر نمی‌کرده کنشگری اجتماعی و سیاسی شود. 

او گرچه به توصیف رسانه‌ها نخستین عضو هیات علمی دانشگاه بود که در پی مرگ مهسا امینی در بازداشت گشت ارشاد پلیس استعفا کرد اما اعطای این جایزه صرفا به این دلیل نبوده‌است. عرفانی پس از استعفا در حالی که در حال گذران یک دوره فرصت مطالعاتی در خارج از ایران بود تصمیم گرفت خود را در تبعید نگاه دارد و در خارج از ایران به رصد و انعکاس آنچه نیروهای سرکوب بر سر دانشگاه و دانشگاهیان به ویژه دانشجویان معترض می‌آورد پرداخت. 

او با اشاره به تاسیس «کانون بین‌المللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی»(International Community of Iranian Acade) در خارج از ایران برای آنکه بتوانند صدای نقض آزادی‌ آکادمیک در ایران باشد، به ایران‌وایر می‌گوید: «این نخستین سازمان ایرانی است که طی ۴۶ سال گذشته به مستندسازی و ارائه گزارش از نقض آزادی‌ آکادمیک در دانشگاه‌های ایران پس از مرگ مهسا امینی پرداخته‌است. در این گزارش‌ها به تظاهرات، دستگیری دانشجویان و بازداشت موقت آنها، احکام کمیته انضباطی و محرومیت از تحصیل و مستندسازی آنها پرداختیم و گزارش‌ها را به سازمان‌های حقوق بشری و سازمان‌هایی که از آزادی‌ آکادمیک دفاع می‌کنند ارائه کردیم». 

عرفانی همچنین از ارسال گزارش‌ها و مستندات سرکوب دانشجویان به سازمان محققان در خطر (scholars at risk) اشاره کرده و توضیح می‌دهد: «دیگر دلیلی که کانون بین‌المللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی را تشکیل دادیم این بود که دانشگاهیان برای ساختن دوباره ایران باید دست به دست هم بدهند و با تجربه‌های متفاوت از نقاط مختلف دنیا بتوانند دور هم جمع شوند. در نهایت به سبب همین فعالیت‌ها که نشان دهنده این بود که ساکت ننشستیم و برای آزادی در حال فعالیت هستیم این جایزه به من اعطا شد». 

این فیزیکدان بارها بر این نکته تاکید می‌کند که «بسیاری از دانشگاهیان از بیم آن که پس از ورود به ایران بازداشت شوند چنین ریسکی نمی‌کنند و در تبعیدی خودخواسته حتی از دیدار خانواده خود باز مانده‌اند». 

او می‌گوید: « در اشاره به وضعیت سرکوب و خفقان جامعه آکادمیک ایران همین نکته کافی است که دو دانشجوی المپیاد نجوم ایران یعنی امیرحسین مرادی و علی یونسی بازداشت و محکوم شده‌اند اما هیچ صدایی از جامعه علمی کشور درنیامد و حتی نمی‌دانیم گروه معاندی که ادعا می‌کنند این دو عضو آن بوده‌اند چه بوده و کجاست». 

عرفانی درباره استعفایش از دانشگاه در زمان مرگ مهسا امینی هم توضیح می‌دهد: « تنها راهی که برای اعلام اعتراض به ذهنم رسید قطع ارتباط کاری با حاکمیت از طریق اعلام استعفا بود. با این کار فقط می‌خواستم از مردم کشورم حمایت کنم و فکر نمی‌کردم این استعفا منجر به کنش یا حرکتی شود. اما پس از استعفا به سبب آن که خانواده‌ام از طرف نیروهای امنیتی تهدید شدند، مجبور شدم خارج از ایران بمانم و یک سفر سه ماهه به سفری بی‌بازگشت تبدیل شد».  

ابعاد سرکوب آزادی‌های آکادمیک در ایران مشخص نیست

عضو سابق هیات علمی دانشگاه علوم پایه زنجان درباره تعریف و توصیف نقض آزادی‌های آکادمیک می‌گوید: «بحث درباره نقض آزادی‌ آکادمیک در دنیا هم مطرح است زیرا تعریف درستی برای آزادی‌ آکادمیک ارائه نشده‌است. با این حال آزادی‌ آکادمیک یکسری اصول اساسی دارد؛ مثل این که هر عضو جامعه آکادمیک حق دارد هر کار تحقیقاتی که می‌خواهد را انجام دهد و حاکمیت‌ها نمی‌توانند مانع این کار شوند.»

او به تجربه اعتراضات دانشگاهیان آمریکا به جنگ در غزه اشاره کرده می‌افزاید: «در اعتراضات دانشگاهیان آمریکا به جنگ در غزه، بحث ورود نیروهای نظامی و پلیس به دانشگاه مطرح شد. در این کشورها که سازه دانشگاه‌ها به گونه‌ای نیست که دور آن بسته باشد این پرسش مطرح شد که مرز دانشگاه کجاست؟ در همین ماجرای حمایت اساتید از دانشجویان معترض به جنگ غزه دیدیم که برخی اساتید از دانشگاه اخراج شدند. بنابراین می‌بینیم که در همه دنیا تعریف درستی از آزادی‌ آکادمیک وجود ندارد.»

به گفته این تحصیلکرده فیزیک با گرایش گرانش، «هنوز از زمان انقلاب فرهنگی ما هیچ آمار شفاف و روشنی از این سرکوب سیستماتیک حاکمیت بر دانشگاه نداریم. با گذشت سال‌ها از این واقعه هنوز چیزی به عنوان شورای عالی انقلاب فرهنگی در ایران داریم که همه سیاستگذاری‌های دانشگاهی را تحت نفوذ خود دارد و مطابق با مصوبه‌های این شورا امکان استخدام در دانشگاه‌ها برای اعضای هیئت علمی ممکن می‌شود. براساس همین رویه‌ها اگر یک عضو هیئت علمی در کلاس‌های به اصطلاح فرهنگی مورد نظر شورای عالی انقلاب فرهنگی شرکت نکند که محتوای آموزشی آن را حاکمیت تعیین می‌کند نظیر تاریخ اسلام و انقلاب اسلامی و مفاهیمی از این دست، حتی اگر کار علمی مناسب هم انجام داده باشد امکان امکان ارتقاء پیدا نمی‌کند.»

عرفانی حضور و نفوذ نماینده رهبر در همه دانشگاه‌ها به عنوان بخش دیگری از سرکوب سیستماتیک در دانشگاه‌ها تاکید کرده می‌افزاید: «بخش دیگری نقض سیستماتیک آزادی‌ آکادمیک در دانشگاه‌های ایران توسط حراست دانشگاه‌ها اعمال می‌شود که نمونه آخر آن را در ماجرای قتل امیرمحمد خالقی و اعتراض دانشجویان دیدیم که چگونه حراست دانشگاه دانشجویان را مجروح کرد. عموما حراست دانشگاه‌ها برای حفاظت از دانشجو و دانشگاه عمل نمی‌کنند و بازی حاکمیت در اعمال فشار به دانشگاهیان هستند. نمونه دیگر این سرکوب سیستماتیک آزادی‌ آکادمیک در سرکوب هر گونه اظهارنظر علمی است. یک عضو هیئت علمی حق اظهارنظر علمی در آنچه تخصص اوست را ندارد.»

او به وجود فساد علاوه بر نقض آزادی‌های آکادمیک اشاره کرده می‌گوید: «یکی از نکاتی که در مورد فساد در علم ایران باید بر آن تاکید کنم تصمیمی است که در دولت سیزدهم و ابراهیم رئیسی گرفته شد و طی آن به مردان عضو هیئت علمی که صاحب فرزند شوند امتیاز برای ارتقاء داده شد. این مایه شرمساری است که در سیستم علمی کشور به مردان بگویید ازدواج کنید و فرزندآوری کنید می‌توانید ارتقاء پیدا کنید در حالی که می‌دانیم به دنیا آمدن فرزند زندگی آکادمیک زنان را بیشتر تحت تاثیر قرار می‌دهد و این یعنی کار علمی کمتر و مشغله بیشتر». 

به گفته عرفانی یکی از ماجراهای فساد علم در ایران و نقض آزادی‌های آکادمیک را می‌توان در ماجرای افتتاح رصدخانه ملی ایران ملموس یافت و دیگر این که هیچ متخصص نجومی نمی‌تواند در زمینه استهلال اظهارنظر کند. 

وقتی متخصصان نجوم اجازه اظهارنظر در استهلال ندارند

انسیه عرفانی به عنوان تحصیلکرده شاخه گرانش در فیزیک در انتخابات هیئت مدیره انجمن نجوم کشور موفق شد وارد این نهاد شود ولی تجربه حضورش در این انجمن نیز حامل بخشی از سرکوب‌های سیستماتیک علیه دانشگاهیان است. 

عرفانی در توصیف آنچه سرکوب علم در ایران می‌خواند به ایران‌وایر می‌گوید:‌« نمونه ملموس آن در همین رشته‌ای که من در آن تخصص دارم یعنی نجوم و بحث استهلال در ماه رمضان است. من نمی‌دانم آنچه تحت عنوان ستاد استهلال به راه‌افتاده از چه زمانی بوده ولی همه این مجموعه دست بیت‌رهبری است و می‌بینیم به سادگی مسائل علمی و چیزی مثل نجوم تحت تاثیر قرار گرفته‌است. من عضو هیئت مدیره انجمن نجوم ایران هم بوده‌ام اما شما نه به عنوان متخصص نجوم و نه به عنوان عضو انجمن نجوم نمی‌توانید درباره استهلال اظهارنظر کنید. این تنها نمونه آن نیست.» 

او با اشاره به ماجراهایی چون «کرونایابی که به طنز تلخ دوره شیوع کووید تبدیل شد یا ساخت واکسن کرونا یا اظهارنظر درباره علم کوانتوم» اشاره کرده و می‌افزاید: «در سیستمی که فساد وجود دارد در جامعه علمی هم فساد رخنه می‌کند. از استخدام و ارتقا اعضای هیات علمی تا چگونگی اعطای بورسیه‌های علمی همه از مواردی است که حاکمیت در آن اعمال نظر می‌کند. برای مثل آنچه در دوره احمدی‌نژاد تحت عنوان بورسیه‌های تحصیلی داده شد هیچ‌گاه شفاف نشد این عده پس از طی بورسیه‌ به استخدام دانشگاه‌ها درآمدند تا به عنوان بازوی فشار حاکمیت نقششان در کنترل دیگر اساتید را به اجرا درآورند.

 عرفانی افتتاح رصدخانه ملی ایران بدون داشتن آینه را یکی دیگر از فساد و سرکوبی که در حوزه علم در ایران رخ داده دانسته و توضیح می‌دهد: « در ماه‌های آخر فعالیت دولت حسن روحانی صرفا برای این که بگویند پروژه رصدخانه ملی ایران را آنها اجرا کرده‌اند بدون آنکه آینه رصدخانه نصب شده‌باشد افتتاح شد. در حالی که اساسا آینه رصدخانه باید لایه‌نشانی می‌شد. یکسال و اندی پس از افتتاح گفته شد آنها نور را از این تلسکوپ گرفته‌اند ولی هیچ تصویر واضحی از این رصد داده‌نشد و جامعه علمی ایران اصلا نمی‌داند در آنجا چه خبر است». 

عضو سابق هیئت مدیره انجمن نجوم ایران درباره پروژه رصدخانه ملی ایران به ایران‌وایر می‌گوید: «پروژه رصدخانه ملی ایران از جمله پروژه‌های بسیار بسیار طولانی کشور است. این پروژه از سال ۱۳۷۸ شروع شده و هنوز هم به نتیجه نرسیده است.»

او به تجربه‌اش در راه‌اندازی شاخه بانوان انجمن نجوم (شبانا) اشاره کرده می‌افزاید: «به من می‌گفتند که شما دارید علم را زنانه مردانه می‌کنید و نباید با مسائل علمی اینگونه برخورد کنید ولی هدف من از راه‌اندازی شاخه بانوان انجمن نجوم این بود که بتوانم فعالیت‌های زنان در این عرصه را برجسته کنم و صدای زنان باشم. مناسبت تولد خانم دکتر «آلنوش طریان» که به «مادر نجوم ایران» مشهور است را برگزار و به عنوان روز «زنان در نجوم» معرفی کردیم. متاسفانه برگزاری این مراسم تکرار نشد. »

جنبش دانشجویی تجلی همبستگی ملّی است.

بیانیه مشترک گروهی از انجمن‌ها و رسانه‌های فعال در جنبش دانشجویی ایران

دانشجوی زنده‌یاد «امیرمحمد خالقی» در سایهٔ بی‌مسئولیتی وزارت علوم، ناکارآمدی نیروی انتظامی و فساد ساختاریِ جمهوری اسلامی، قربانی خشونت خیابانی شد و به شکلی اندوه‌بار، جان باخت. همانطور که همه ایرانیان در این سال‌ها قربانی بوده‌ایم.

این فاجعه در حالی رخ داد که دانشگاهیان از مدت‌ها پیش در مورد وجود ناامنی و شرایط نامساعدی که نیازمند رسیدگی جدی نیروی انتظامی و مقامات مسئول بوده، به صورت شفاهی و کتبی اعتراض خود را اعلام کرده بودند. اما بی‌توجهیِ پیوسته و بی‌کفایتی مسئولین، همان مسئولینی که در واپسین لحظات آغاز اعتراضات در کوی دانشگاه کوشیدند تا آرامش کاذب به دانشجویان تزریق کنند، مقدمات رخ‌داد این جنایت فراموش‌نشدنی را فراهم کرد. در پی قتل ناجوانمردانهٔ امیرمحمد خالقی، جامعه دانشجویی ایران، واکنشی چنین تاریخی و درخور از خود به نمایش گذاشت و دادخواه او و کسانی چون او شد. دگرباره وفاداران به «جنبش دانشجویی ایران» مرز تاریخی و همیشگی خود را بر پایه دو اصل ارزشمند «آزادی و عدالت» با حاکمیت جمهوری اسلامی روشن کردند و یادآور شدند که دانشجو حتی اگر بمیرد، ذلت نمی‌پذیرد. یادآور شدند که آتش زیر خاکستر همیشه روشن می‌ماند و برای ستیز با تاریکی، از نو زبانه می‌کشد.

بر ماست که فارغ از همه تفاوت‌ها و اختلاف سلیقه‌هایمان، با حفظ همبستگی حداکثری، برای بازتاب این صدای اصیل، مستقل و امیدبخش بکوشیم. صدایی که شاید تنها امید ملت آزادی‌خواه ایران برای عبور از جمهوری اسلامی است. صدایی که فراتر از شعارها است، صدایی که با وجود آن، جوانان می‌توانند به روزهای خوب آینده روشن امیدوار بوده و به جای سفر کردن، بمانند و پس بگیرند...

به امید آزادی،

چهارشنبه، ۱ اسفند ۱۴۰۳

پاینده ایران

#امیرمحمد_خالقی

در روزهای اخیر خبری مبنی بر برگزاری جلسه  دفاع رساله دکتری یاشار دارالشفا، فعال دانشجویی،  در زندان  رجایی شهر در رسانه‌ها منتشر شده است. این خبر در رسانه های مختلف از جنبه های متفاوتی مورد بررسی قرار گرفته است. برخی آن را نمادی از تداوم کنشگری دانشجویان دانسته اند. اما خبرگزاری های حکومتی از جمله فارس مثل همیشه  خبر را به عنوان شاهدی دیگر از رأفت اسلامی حکومت وانمود کردند و با عکس های متعدد از شیرینی های روی میز و فضای معنوی مسجد زندان، به زعم خود فضایی آرام، و با تمامی امکانات برای مددجویان (!) را به نمایش گذاشتند. 

یاشار دارالشفاء، فعال دانشجویی‌، در سال ۱۳۸۳، در رشته مدیریت صنعتی دانشگاه بین‌المللی قزوین وارد دانشگاه شد و پس از آن با کسب رتبه تک‌رقمی در آزمون کارشناسی ارشد، در رشته برنامه‌ریزی رفاه اجتماعی دانشگاه تهران ادامه تحصیل داد. در پاییز ۱۳۹۱، در حالی از پایان‌نامه‌اش دفاع کرد که زیر فشار اجرای حکم زندان اوین بود و کمی پس از دفاع از رساله‌اش برای اجرای حکم پنج سال حبس‌اش به زندان فراخوانده شد. او پیش‌ از این دوباره در ۱۳ آبان ۱۳۸۸ و بعد در بهمن همان سال بازداشت شده بود و به ۵ سال حبس قطعی محکوم شده بود.دارالشفاء پس از پایان محکومیت‌اش، در آزمون دکتری شرکت کرد و باز هم با کسب رتبه‌‌ای برتر در مقطع دکتری رشته سلامت و رفاه اجتماعی دانشکده علوم توانبخشی و سلامت اجتماعی دانشگاه شهید بهشتی پذیرفته شد. او در ۲۳ مرداد ۱۴۰۱ برای گذراندن ۱۰ ماه محکومیت مربوط به بازداشت‌ پس از آبان ۹۸ به زندان اوین فراخوانده شد. در ۲۳ مهر ۱۴۰۱ به دلیل گزارش آتش‌سوزی زندان اوین که توسط مادرش در اختیار رسانه‌ها قرار گرفت، همراه برادرش، کاوه، به زندان رجایی‌شهر تبعید شد.

انتشار خبر دفاع از رساله دکتری در زندان رجایی شهر اما مجدداً یادآور این مهم است که در نظام فعلی، هر خبر بخشی از نمایشی تکراری برای تحمیق مردم است. اصلاحات توخالی و نمایشی، دادگاه های فرمایشی، اعترافات نمایشی با کارگردانی نهادهای امنیتی، و اكنون بهره برداری نمایشی از دفاع رساله دکتری یک دانشجوی زندانی سیاسی. اینها ترفندهایی کهنه و بی اثر براى اصلاح چهره نظامی هستند که سالهاست دیگر نه مشروعیتی در دانشگاه دارد، نه در بین مردم ، و نه در انظار بین المللی. 

در این نمایش مضحک، جمهورى اسلامى سخت مفتخر است كه به يك مددجو (اصطلاحی که به تازگی در مورد زندانیان سیاسی بکار می‌رود) اجازه داده است كه در زندان (نه در مرخصی يا آزادی با قيد وثيقه) از رساله دکتری خود دفاع كند. مسئله این نیست که آیا حکومت به این زندانی سیاسی اجازه دفاع در زندان داده است یا خیر. واضح ترین مورد نقض حقوق بشر آن است که دانشجوی دکتری صرفاً به دلیل ابراز عقیده محکوم به سپری کردن پنج سال زندان  است. و برای دفاع از رساله دکتری خود باید به روشهای اینچنین متوسل شود. حال سوال اصلی این است که چگونه استادان راهنمای این دانشجو و داوران كه تصور می رود متخصصين رفاه و سلامت اجتماعی به‌ شمار می‌روند، به فرموده حکومت، در این نمایش ایفای نقش نموده و دم بر نیاورده اند که به چه دلیل دانشجوی دکتری صرفا به جرم داشتن عقيده و بيان زندانی است. 

 کانون بین‌المللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی با توجه به حق آزادی بیان و عقیده برای دانشجویان و اساتید، آگاه به نیت پلید شما مبنی بر عادی جلوه‌ دادن شرایط بعد از قتل مهسا امینی و انقلاب «زن، زندگی، آزادی» است. همه آگاهیم از هراس شما از مردم و ايده هاى کودکانه و نَخ نمایتان برای اصلاح چهره خود. به وضوح می بینیم که اتحاد بين ما و آگاهیمان خواب از چشم شما ربوده است. می دانیم که چگونه حکومت واپسگرای ضد علم و فاسد و خرافه پرست شما سالهاست در تلاش است كه نهاد دانشگاه را تحت تصرف و سلطه در آورد و هر جا که این میسر نشد دانشگاهیان را تخریب و تضعیف کند. واقعیت نگرش شما به  دانشگاه و جایگاه علم، در استخدام اساتيد فاسد وابسته به سیستم اطلاعاتی شما ، گزينش نيروهای بدون سابقه علمی  در خور ، برپايی نهاد بسیج دانشجویی و بسیج اساتید ، تاسیس دفتر نهاد رهبری، ستاره دار كردن دانشجويان، صدورمدارک با رشوه، تهدید، ارعاب و شکنجه، نمایان است  حاصل اين همه سركوب و وحشت در این ۴۴ سال، دانشگاهی پویا با نسلی آزادیخواه است که به تمامی نمایش های مضحک شما با صدای بلند می خندد.

دانشگاه و دانشگاهیان دنیا رفتارهای نمایشی و ضد انسانى شما را می بینند، می فهمند و رسوا می کنند.

 خوب می دانيم كه در پس همه اين نمايش های نخ نما، وحشتی عظیم نهفته است. 

کانون بین المللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی 

25 January 2023

April 10, 2025, marks the fifth anniversary of the unjust arrest and detention of two of Iran’s brightest students, Ali Younesi (b. March 4, 2001) and Amirhossein Moradi (b. February 19, 2001). As members of the International Community of Iranian Academics, we are compelled to mark this grim milestone by revisiting their case and reaffirming our demand for their immediate and unconditional release.

Who Are Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi?

Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi were award-winning students at Iran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology.

Ali Younesi won a gold medal at the 12th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Beijing, China, 2018 [1]. 

Amirhossein Moradi earned a silver medal in Iran’s National Astronomy Olympiad 2017.

Their achievements made them rising stars in Iran’s scientific community—until they were abruptly targeted and imprisoned by state authorities.

Chronology of Events

April 10, 2020 – Violent Arrest: Iranian security forces arrested Younesi and Moradi in a coordinated, violent raid. Both were visibly injured and showed signs of physical abuse during later appearances [2][3][4][5].

April–May 2020 – Solitary Confinement & Denial of Legal Rights: Both students were held in solitary confinement in Evin Prison’s Ward 209, under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence. They were denied legal representation and barred from contacting their families [3][6].

May 5, 2020 – Baseless Accusations: Judiciary spokesperson Gholamhossein Esmaili accused them of ties to the opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK)—a charge never supported by credible evidence [7].

July 2020 – They were interrogated 'In Public' meeting [8].

May 3, 2022 – UN Special Rapporteurs sent a formal communication to the Iranian government regarding the arbitrary detention of Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi. They expressed concern over violations of due process, ill-treatment, and the politically motivated nature of the charges.

April 25, 2022 – Revolutionary Court in Iran sentenced university students Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi to 16 years in prison on spurious national security charges after a grossly unfair trial [9].

July 15, 2022 – The Iranian government responded to the UN Special Rapporteurs’ letter by denying any violations of legal procedure and asserting that Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi had been convicted based on national security charges. Iran claimed that all judicial processes were carried out in accordance with domestic laws and international obligations [10].

Iranian intelligence officials repeatedly harassed the students' families. Ali's parents faced interrogations, threats, and home raids. Amir's sister was threatened, her cellphone was seized, and her house was raided. They were explicitly warned not to speak to the media or international organizations [11].

In April 2022, both students were sentenced to 16 years in prison on vague "national security" charges after trials lacking due process [12]. Their convictions were reportedly based on coerced confessions obtained under duress. While imprisoned, Younesi and Moradi became symbols of resistance.

In September 2023, they began a hunger strike protesting their unjust incarceration [13]. Since November 2024, they have actively participated in the "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign, coordinating peaceful protests from inside prison [14].

In March 2025, Iran’s Supreme Court ordered a retrial, reducing their sentence to 6 years and 8 months [15]. However, the retrial did not address the due process violations or the coerced nature of their confessions. Both students remain imprisoned, wrongfully and without fair trial protections.

Global Support and Advocacy

Amnesty International called the students’ trial a "sham" and demanded their immediate release [16].

Human Rights Watch (HRW) decried the use of prolonged solitary confinement and arbitrary detention against student activists [17].

Scholars at Risk (SAR) issued alerts and letters urging the global academic community to speak out [18][19].

The Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) published open letters and coordinated action with Nobel laureates [20][21].

Nobel Laureates ask UN to demand release of two students jailed in Iran [22].

More than 170 professors and students of Sharif University wrote a letter to the Iranian authorities demanding their release [23].

Several universities, including the University of Genoa, issued public statements of solidarity [24].

Call to Action

We urge:

• Universities, researchers, and students worldwide to raise awareness and advocate for their release.

• Governments to bring their cases into diplomatic and human rights dialogues with Iran.

• The UN and international organizations to intensify pressure for accountability.

• The global academic and scientific community to stand in solidarity with at-risk scholars.

We Will Not Forget

Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi have spent five years in prison for their brilliance, courage, and dedication to truth. Their imprisonment represents a broader assault on academic freedom, youth activism, and freedom of expression in Iran. We, at the International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA), will not rest until they—and all persecuted scholars—are free.

References

1. Iranian students stand first at IOAA 2018, Mehr News Agency, https://en.mehrnews.com/news/139526/Iranian-students-stand-first-at-IOAA-2018

2. Cellmate Describes Torture and Humiliation of Top Student in Evin Prison, IranWire 2021, https://iranwire.com/en/features/69367/

3. Iran: Tortured Students Jailed Unjustly, Amnesty International 2022, https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/tortured-students-jailed-unjustly

4. Award-Winning Astronomy Student Arrested In Iran And Family Asks Why, RadioFarda 2020, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/astronomy-award-winning-student-arrested-in-iran-and-family-asks-why/30577400.html

5. Sharif University Honor Students Tortured, Detained in High-Security Ward, Center for Human Rights in Iran 2021, https://iranhumanrights.org/2021/04/sharif-university-honor-students-tortured-detained-in-high-security-ward/

6. Two Honor Students, Violently Arrested, Still Detained Without Charge Six Months Later, Center for Human Rights in Iran 2020, https://iranhumanrights.org/2020/10/two-honor-students-violently-arrested-still-detained-without-charge-six-months-later/

7. Iran Judiciary Accuses Detained Students Of Terrorist Affiliations, RadioFarda 2020 https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-judiciary-accuses-detained-students-of-terrorist-affiliations/30593802.html

8. Two Detained Award-Winning Iranian Students Interrogated 'In Public', RadioFarda 2020, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-two-detained-award-winning-students-interrogated-in-public-/30734582.html

9. Iran: Tortured students jailed unjustly: Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi, Amnesty International 2022, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/5920/2022/en/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

10. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=37028

11. https://x.com/HRANA_English/status/1609873755735482371?s=20&t=-f1pgR66i1Tt9r6e4fMYRw

12. Iran: Tortured Students Jailed Unjustly, Amnesty International 2022, https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/tortured-students-jailed-unjustly

13. Two imprisoned elite students, Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi, on hunger strike, Iran Human Rights Monitor (2023) https://iran-hrm.com/2023/09/15/two-imprisoned-elite-students-ali-younesi-and-amir-hossein-moradi-on-hunger-strike/

14. A Year of Resistance Inside Iran’s Prisons Against Executions, Center for Human Rights in Iran 2025, https://iranhumanrights.org/2025/01/a-year-of-resistance-inside-irans-prisons-against-executions/

15. Iran reduces sentences for political prisoners Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi. HRANA (2025) https://www.en-hrana.org/iran-reduces-prison-sentences-for-political-prisoners-ali-younesi-and-amirhossein-moradi/

16. Iran: Young prisoners of conscience sentenced after grossly unfair trial, Amnesty International. (2022) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/5920/2022/en

17. Iran: Free Students in Long Solitary Confinement, Human Rights Watch (2020).  https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/06/iran-free-students-long-solitary

18. Intervene to Help Sharif University of Technology Students, Scholars at Risk 2022, https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/2022/03/intervene-to-help-sharif-university-of-technology-students/

19. Extend amnesty to remaining imprisoned scholars and students, Scholars at Risk 2023, https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/2023/03/extend-amnesty-to-remaining-imprisoned-scholars-and-students/

20. International Astronomy Olympiad Winner Jailed in Iran, Committee of Concerned Scientists 2020, https://concernedscientists.org/2020/05/international-astronomy-olympiad-winner-jailed-in-iran/

21. Two Sharif University students held for almost two years on charge of “corruption on earth.” Committee of Concerned Scientists 2022, https://concernedscientists.org/2022/02/two-sharif-university-students-held-for-almost-two-years-on-charge-of-corruption-on-earth/

22. Nobel Laureates Ask UN To Demand Release Of Two Students Jailed In Iran, IranInternational 2022, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202201237993

23. Students Ask Khamenei To Stop Illegal Actions In Cases of Jailed Students, IranInternational 2021, https://old.iranintl.com/en/iran-in-brief/students-ask-khamenei-stop-illegal-actions-cases-jailed-students

24. The Rector signs the petitions for the Iranian students, 2020 https://unige.it/en/news/4863-the-dean-signs-to-release-iranian-students

We, the authors, dedicate this article to the brave Iranian students and academics who have been the flag bearers of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution that emerged in September 2022 following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in custody 🕊️

In the article, we explore how students and academics have been at the forefront of resistance during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution and the main target of the oppressive measures from the Islamic regime in Iran. In this research, we highlight the historical roots of the institutional oppression since the 1979 revolution and shed light on the regime's misogynistic policies and its attempt in dominating universities in Iran.

‎ما نویسندگان، این مقاله را به دانشجویان و دانشگاهیان شجاع ایرانی تقدیم می کنیم که پرچمداران انقلاب «زن، زندگی، آزادی» هستند؛ انقلابی که پس از قتل حکومتی مهسا ژینا امینی شروع شد

‎در این مقاله به بررسی اینکه چگونه دانشجویان و دانشگاهیان در ایران در خط مقدم مقاومت در انقلاب ژینا بوده اند و در نتیجه هدف اصلی اقدامات ظالمانه جمهوری اسلامی ‌قرار گرفته اند، پرداخته ایم. همچنین ریشه‌های تاریخی سرکوب در دانشگاههای ایران پس از انقلاب ۱۳۵۷ را بررسی و سیاست‌های زن‌ستیزانه رژیم و تلاش آن برای تسلط بر دانشگاه‌های ایران را مورد بحث قرار داده ایم

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In recent years, social media and news outlets have been buzzing with examples of authorities in the Islamic Republic struggling to pronounce common words and phrases, exposing their lack of knowledge. But this disconnect from the scientific world seems to go beyond mere language barriers, reaching universities in Iran and even high-level academic meetings. The latest incident involves the newly appointed president of a technology-oriented university, Dr. Davood Domiri Ganji, who reportedly recommended using the programming language Python to Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi. Dr. Ganji described Python as a global network capable of predicting health issues for the next four years and even forecasting geopolitical changes in the Middle East region. To make these predictions, he suggested extracting neural networks from human bodies and using them to assist Python. The incident has raised concerns about the scientific literacy and expertise of some academic leaders in Iran and highlights the challenges researchers face in a country where politics and ideology often overshadow science and technology.

Indeed, it is a shocking revelation: esteemed researchers in Iranian universities with enviable academic credentials, and an impressive number of citations, are proving to be out of touch with even the most basic scientific trends. Despite publishing numerous papers in esteemed journals, these so-called experts are unable to grasp the basics of their field, raising serious questions about their approach to research. How are they managing to accumulate so many citations and gain recognition in the academic community while lacking fundamental skills and knowledge?

The International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA) has embarked on a crucial mission of evaluating the publishing practices of esteemed Iranian academics. With their publication records under scrutiny, the first academic to undergo such evaluation is Dr. Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard. Dr. Ghafouri-Fard was publicly hailed as the most impactful female researcher by the Islamic Republic, making her an ideal candidate for ICOIA's evaluation. This evaluation aims to offer an unbiased assessment of her contribution to the field and her impact on the research community.

The assessment of Dr. Ghafouri-Fard's publishing practices by the International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA) is expected to reveal crucial insights into the research standards of other Iranian academics who enjoy the Islamic Republic authorities' staunch support. By offering an impartial evaluation of her research impact, this assessment seeks to unveil the reality of their research quality beyond the facade of inflated citation counts and boasted h-indices.

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By  Encieh Erfani & Charlotte Payne

Cite this article: Erfani, E., Payne, C. Iranian academics take a stand. Nat Hum Behav (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01576-y

Protests calling for ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ in Iran have been met with government crackdowns, affecting universities across the country. In response, Iranian academics abroad have formed the International Community of Iranian Academics. Founding member Encieh Erfani talks to Nature Human Behaviour about their work.

In September last year, you resigned your position of assistant professor at Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in support of Iranian students and in protest against the Iranian government after the death of Mahsa Amini. What has happened to you since your resignation?

I resigned on 23 September 2022 — the first day of autumn, when schools and universities open in Iran — because I had great memories of that day. I sent the email at 05:00 and after only 14 hours my family in Iran received a call from the security police of the regime (most probably the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG)). I had been in Mexico since 22 August for a research visit and the university was aware of that. So, the call from the IRGC was a clear signal that I should not return home and should stay in exile. The fellowship I had for the visit was only 3 months, so I was forced to move to another country in November.

What is the International Community of Iranian Academics?

The International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA) was founded in October 2022 as an entirely volunteer-run organization by a group of Iranian academics abroad. We are an independent and international network of Iranian academics and students. Our primary objective is to provide a community and a platform to serve the interests of academics of Iranian heritage around the world. However, owing to the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ revolution in Iran and its consequences in universities, we are not in normal times and our main focus is on being the voice of students and academics who are under severe suppression and helping those at risk. We believe that the ICOIA, as a community of elites, can have an effective role in the transition phase from the current regime to a democratic one.

Why and how did you start the ICOIA?

Owing to suppression in the universities of Iran after the revolution in 1979, hundreds of academics left the country. In the past 44 years, owing to the lack of freedom in academia (and in general society) and economical and political problems, Iran has experienced high brain-drain. Many Iranian scholars always tried to keep scientific connections with their colleagues in Iran, to help the progress of science. However, Iranian-diaspora academics never had a community. The death of Mahsa Amini and suppression in the universities was a reason to establish the ICOIA, because we feel that this uprising will lead to a change of the regime and we should play our part.

The recent ICOIA report on the government crackdown on university students in Iran is a devastating account of the Iranian government’s response to recent student protests. How did you collect the information presented in the report?

It was very challenging, and it is still difficult to update the information because there is no official report from the government. Actually, the regime even denies the death of protesters and arrested individuals, which is the case for students too. However, there are a few human rights organizations and student channels on social media from which we collected preliminary data. For verification, we checked several channels. The social media of social activists who announce the news of universities were very helpful. Sometimes the classmate of the arrested student announces the information. In the end, we only reported cases if we had at least two different sources.

Please could you give us a summary of the findings of the report?

Since 17 September 2022, protests have happened in 144 universities and 723 students have been arrested. Attacks have happened in several universities and dormitories. Among the 529 protestors who have been killed, 21 were students and a few of them passed away owing to their participation in student protests. Sixty students got a prison penalty of 1–7 years. Some of these students got up to 74 lashes, and a ban from leaving the country (for 2–5 years). More than 200 students lost their right to education. Around 47 faculty members have had their contracts suspended or terminated.

I want to emphasize that since the revolution in 1979, the universities have always been under government suppression. During the ‘Cultural Revolution’ (1980–1983), universities were shut down for three years. Hundreds of faculty members and students were expelled from universities to achieve the new government’s aim of creating a Muslim nation free from Western and secular influences. What is happening now is similar to what happened in those days.

What can our readers do to support students and academics in Iran?

What is happening in Iran and in the universities is a human rights issue. Most of the science centres and universities worldwide consider it a political issue, and do not engage. Scholars — especially women scholars in Iran — are fighting for basic human rights and they are paying with their lives and losing their right to education because they protest peacefully.

Please be their voice by writing public statements and condemning the behaviour of the regime. Support Iranian students through special scholarships and visa process facilitation. Sanction regime members — including the Minister of Science, Research and Technology, and the Minister of Health and Medical Education — who are responsible for the crackdown in the universities.

Authors and Affiliations

Encieh Erfani, Care of Nature Human Behaviour

Charlotte Payne, Corresponding author, Nature Human Behaviour, Springer Nature, London, UK

Written by Dr Negar Partow, published at https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/opinion-strong-international-reaction-needed-in-response-to-mass-executions-and-torture-in-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/

The Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out over 528 executions since 2022. According to France's Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), the number of executions in Iran has risen 75 per cent since the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini and the beginning of Iran’s 'Woman, Life, Freedom' revolution. In May 2023 alone, the regime has executed 89 people.

These murderous executions are based on fake trials and confessions obtained under severe psychological and physical torture during custody. They typically occur after the morning call for prayer, which has become the grim bearer of terror news in Iran.

After each execution, more anger and despair engulf Iranian society and further alienate people from the religious ideology that the regime has been trying to install in Iran over the last four decades. Despite the regime’s awareness that such crimes alienate more people, they commit these atrocities for domestic and international purposes.

The Islamic Republic’s decisions almost always signal a message to the international community, particularly the West, and in the meantime aim to achieve some legitimacy amongst their followers domestically.

In 2022, Iran was removed from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the remainder of its four-year term ending in 2026.

These executions send a message to the West that the minor restrictions the international community has been imposing on the Islamic republic neither has any value nor has any impact on the level of violence they coerce on the society. They believe that the international community keeps a blind eye on their torture and execution campaign, if they see some flexibility from Iran in terms of its nuclear programme.

President Biden’s administration has been closing the route for the regime’s money laundering in Iraq and Israel has been targeting the arms convoys that the Islamic republic has been trying to send to Syria and Lebanon. The regime is also aware that many countries could follow suit and put the IRGC on their list of terrorist organisations soon, which will have a significant impact on limiting their ability to finance their oppression.

These executions send a message to the West that the minor restrictions the international community has been imposing on the Islamic Republic neither has any value nor has any impact on the level of violence they coerce on the society. They believe that the international community keeps a blind eye to their torture and execution campaign, if they see some flexibility from Iran in terms of its nuclear programme.

They are also promoting the idea that the West’s commitment to human rights is propaganda and that the efforts of Iranians outside of Iran are voided. All these strategic goals are to discourage Iranians inside the country to come to the streets and those outside of Iran to contact their governments and demand more pressure on Iran.

The appointment of the representative of the Islamic Republic, Ali Bahreini, as the Chair of United Nations Human Rights Commission Social Forum in November 2023, and the silence of the international community about this appointment and over the number of executions in Iran, have emboldened the regime further. A day after the three executions, Ali Hosseini Khamenei appeared on TV in a meeting with Iran’s ambassadors, where he mentioned that 'compromise' is a vital strategy in foreign policy. These comments were made public in the week that the Sultan of Oman is traveling to Iran with messages from the West. Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s speech reveals his decision in continuing the violent executions and attacks on the public inside Iran, yet taking a very cooperative face in the possible upcoming diplomatic negotiations.

Domestically, however, the situation is more complicated. The Islamic republic has put all its resources into coercing compulsory veiling. The regime closes down major malls, supermarkets and any other outlet that provide service to women who don’t wear hejab. Until the beginning of 'Woman, Life, Freedom', the morality police were patrolling streets in their cars, but now they roam streets on foot and harass women without hejab. Any car that is identified with a female driver who doesn’t wear hejab is towed away and the owner must pay a hefty fine.

Women who refuse to wear the compulsory hejab are arrested, punished, persecuted and harassed by the regime’s forces on the street, the leading clergy, the theological centres, the students of religious establishments and the politicians. Regardless of all these investments and pressure, the number of women who refuse to submit to the compulsory veiling grows each day. These executions are a strategy to hide their failure and to show to their followers that they still have the upper hand and are in control.

There are many women in the Islamic Republic’s prisons being tortured, many of whom have been long-standing survivors of the regime’s brutality. The regime, however, targets young men for execution to spread fear among men who support women in their fight for freedom. They hope that by separating men from women, they have a better chance in having some form of control. Mistakenly, they also think that if women are isolated, they can conquer them.

They also target young men to frighten mothers from the consequences of the actions of their children. The speedy trials and the hasty executions that violate the legal criminal process for the purpose of legitimacy and terrorising, is a strategy that the regime uses to crush any possibility of opposition after Iran-Iraq war. They were successful in doing this in 1989, when after the end of the Iran-Iraq war the regime executed about 30,000 political prisoners over two to three months across the country. Many were buried in mass graves. The mass executions of 1989 were never forgotten by Iranians, but it silenced Iran’s civil society until July 1999.

In June 2022, two months before the revolution begun, in one his speeches Ali Hosseini Khamenei said, "In the 1980s we were able to stand on our own feet and disappoint the enemy in the face of all incidents and the severity of their action. We can do it today. The God of the 80s is the God of this year. The God of difficult and good times is the same. Divine traditions are all in place. Let's try to set ourselves as examples of divine traditions on the way to progress."

With this speech, he announced that he will take revenge and his revenge would be in the form of torture and execution. I started writing this article in response to the three executions that the regime conducted on 19 May (yesterday at the time of writing). By the time I finished the writing of this short piece, another person was executed in Iran. Without a strong international reaction to the mass executions and brutal atrocities that the Islamic Republic are committing, they will continue and more innocent people will perish.

The international community should try to support and amplify the voices of Iranians inside and outside of Iran who advocate for human rights and equality. Governments, international organisations and individuals should hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its grave violations of human rights. Only through collective action can we hope to bring an end to this cycle of violence and pave the way for a just and free Iran.

Read our e-letter in Science Magazine, following the well-articulated editorial piece by Navid Madani, where we described the situation of 12 imprisoned or abducted university students in Iran: https://science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adf6588

By Dr Negar Partow from ICOIA

A group of lawyers and activists from Iran and Afghanistan who are united against gender apartheid recently wrote, “The situations in the Islamic Republic of Iran and under the Taliban in Afghanistan are not simply cases of gender discrimination. Rather, these systems are perpetuating a more extreme, systematic and structural war against women designed to dehumanise and repress them for purposes of entrenching power.”

Women of Iran and Afghanistan suffer equally under gender apartheid regimes. They are the target of the gender apartheid policies of their ruling system. They are heroines who have resisted these two brutal regimes with passion, determination and innovation. Their efforts have ranged from putting their lives on the line on the streets, to researching ways to ensure the international community commits to the promises of upholding justice, gender equality and human rights. Their intellectual and seminal efforts have given momentum to rethinking gender, ethnic and environmental inequalities in Iran and Afghanistan and raised awareness about these issues through the use of social media, professional platforms and by persuading the international community to do the right thing. Their commitment and innovative solutions offer an alternative view of their struggles for liberation and their success in survival. From using examples of oppression against which the United Nations has taken position to studying successful civil society movements, human rights activists from Iran and Afghanistan have exposed their regimes’ gender apartheid and the momentous negative impact on ethnic, religious, and sexist prejudices inherent in their theologies and political ideologies.

By uniting and pursuing the international community, they have brought to light new legal and political opportunities – from writing international petitions such as End Gender Apartheid to speaking on international platforms such as the United Nations Women, they have shown that they will not accept to live under gender apartheid.

The fundamental assumption that the Islamic Republic in Iran and the Taliban in Afghanistan make is that by isolating and use violence against women, they can silence them and keep them deprived from their fundamental rights. Intentionally and systematically, these regimes have constructed a distorted image of a utopia that is only possible if social and political discrimination against women are central in state policies and are implemented. Over decades, the Islamic Republic and the Taliban shared the dream of building Islamic societies in which Muslim men are protected from Satan and its temptations because women are removed from society. Regardless of their differences in theological positions, this shared dream brought them closer together. Since 2022, as the Taliban tightened its grip over Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic intensified its sexist activities, women in Iran and Afghanistan discovered that by allying together and by fostering unity inside and outside of their respective countries, they could fight back against the oppression.

The call to the international community to act against gender apartheid is a call for global unity against misogyny. Women are breaking the hegemony of the narrative that their so-called representatives have sold to the world under the names of 'culture' and 'tradition'. The ways through which these women navigate, investigate and have engaged the global community demonstrate the power of their shared dreams that could not be destroyed and is now presented in their writings and actions. They are leading the way in using international organisations the way they should be used. To them, the resistance of the international community to take any strong actions against the Islamic Republic in Iran and Taliban in Afghanistan is an example of a lack of prioritising human rights in international politics. And they are determined to change the status quo. Their determination to free women and fight back against these regimes reflect their lack of hope from any reform and their frustration with the sexism of their systems. There is also a maturity in understanding that they can act and their actions matter. They have experienced the violence these regimes use against them and refuse to accept that the international community would let their future generations to suffer.

This unity amongst women has crossed the barriers of ethnicity, nationality and generations. Over the last four decades, generations of Iranian and Afghan women have been harassed, detained, imprisoned, tortured, kept in solitary confinement and executed on arbitrary and illusive charges in judicial and extrajudicial courts (like tribal courts in Afghanistan and some parts of Iran). They only have access to court-appointed lawyers after long periods of arrest and often the crimes against them are kept secret. The news of rape in Iran’s prisons and forced marriages under the Taliban are never investigated by these regimes and women are threatened to silence. Their voice echoes the survivors of misogyny everywhere in the world. It is the voice of all women who are targets of sexist interpretations of tradition and are excluded from political and social life of their communities and countries because of their gender. They are determined to end an oppressive system that wants them hopeless and ruined. Their lobbying techniques, their engagement with the international academic community, their work with the international media, their presence on social media, their weekly protests around the world and their tireless efforts in moving the international community from words to actions are examples of their cooperative work.

They are no longer accused, second-class citizens but examples of successful social activism and global cooperation. They are, however, in desperate need to be more connected with the global community of human rights activists. Their alliance can prioritise human security in the world of international security, in which the question of human rights are often deemed irrelevant unless interconnected with national interest or desire for territorial expansion or easier access to natural and human resources.

Amidst the darkness that the vast and encompassing misogynistic policies of the Taliban have spread in Afghanistan, an academic is holding the torch and is fighting for gender equality. On the 20th of December 2022, the Taliban banned education for girls in Afghanistan universities and the increasing opposition to this move has fallen on deaf ears. Dr Ismael Mash’al (his family name means torch in Dari), who directed two private universities prior to the ban, protested the Taliban’s announcement in a series of civil actions. His first action was ripping up his degrees in a live TV programme. With tears in his eyes and a trembling voice, he turned to the camera and said: “These degrees have no use for me if my mother and sister are not allowed to study. I feel hopeless and don’t understand why women do not have the right to education”.  He then turned back to the programme presenter and said that the banning of women from education equated to imprisoning them and took the country back a hundred years.

His bravery and courage became a beacon of light for women in the dark days of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban regained power in the country and the American forces withdrew, they see themselves as an invincible political force. In the last two years, their forces have committed gross violations against the rights of women, the Hazaras, their oppositions and civil society groups. They unleashed corruption and a lack of knowledge about politics and the economy, which have made Afghanistan one of the poorest countries in the world. According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) 2023 report, about “ninety-seven percent of Afghanistan's population is now at risk of poverty, with over half of Afghans reliant on humanitarian aid”.

By banning women from education, Afghanistan has fallen further into poverty and despair. In January 2023, the United Nations Women published a gender alert on Afghanistan, warning the world about the magnitude of the negative impact of the Taliban’s order on banning women from working in foreign NGOs and from education. This gender alert states that the impact of this ban is beyond isolating women and preventing them from access to education and employment. As a result of this ban, Afghanistan’s economy will be weakened even more, the country will face more food poverty and security crisis, and it will disable NGOs from reaching out to women who are in desperate need of lifesaving assistance.

The intimidation and brutal violence that the Taliban exercises in Afghanistan have increased to frighten people from opposing the dysfunctional, restrictive, misogynistic, and racist political system they have established in the country. It is in this context that the courage of Dr Mash’al in a live TV programme is more significant. While participating in the programme alerted the Taliban, he didn’t become silent and continued his fight for the rights of women to education.

About two weeks after his interview, Dr Mash’al made a pushcart and announced that he was going to donate twenty-one thousand volumes of books to people. Devastated by the Taliban’s dogmatism, he once again protested the misogynistic education law. Walking in the street of Kabul with his pushcart covered in books, Dr Mash’al talked to people who passed him and encouraged them to study and read. His elegant method of opposing the Taliban attracted people to take photos with him and motivated reporters to interview him. Soon after, he became a prominent figure in Afghanistan’s civil society. Photos of him were published by Afghani and international news agencies and his interviews inspired many to have a voice against the ban. When he was interviewed by Tolo News Agency with his pushcart in the streets of Kabul, he said: "Today, when universities and schools are closed [to women], dust is covering these books and time is running out. I wanted to share them with my people as a gift”.

The Taliban, blinded by their short-term victory and unchallenged power, nonetheless, could not tolerate this beacon of hope and arrested Dr Mash’al. In a statement, they announced Dr Mash’al was arrested for his “provocative actions” against the regime. Since his arrest, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Richard Bennett, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, have demanded his release. These international calls, however, have made no immediate impact. Days after his arrest, neither his family nor his students are aware of his whereabouts and the Taliban refuses to provide any information about him.

For us, members of the International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA), the story of Dr Mash’al, resonates with the suffering and discrimination that academics and university students have borne under the Islamic Republic’s regime. We strongly condemn the arrest of Dr Mash’al and express our support for his efforts. Many of us are women and have suffered as the result of the misogynistic policies that the regime’s project of Islamisation of Universities institutionalized in universities in Iran. Now, the Islamic Republic’s counterpart in Afghanistan is following in their footsteps to establish yet another Islamic regime based on fear, intimidation, and misogyny. We demand the immediate release of Dr Mash’al and express our support for the women of Afghanistan in their quest for equality and a life with dignity. We urge the international community to act against this gross violation of the rights of women in Afghanistan and the arrest of Dr Mash’al. May the torch of hope, once again walks in the street of Kabul and spread knowledge and hope in the darkest days of Afghanistan.

Written by Dr Negar Partow from ICOIA