According to local media reports, security forces in the Iranian capital Tehran used violence against students. Police officers and militias sealed off the campus of the renowned Sharif University after protests on Monday night. According to the Iranian news portal “Emtedad”, several professors at the elite university were also beaten.
Since the beginning of the nationwide protests in Iran, students at numerous universities have demonstrated against the leadership of the Islamic Republic and its repressive course. The authorities then canceled lectures in many cities. At the Sharif University, all lectures were suspended from Monday until further notice.
Videos shared thousands of times on social media, the authenticity of which could not initially be verified, showed a strong presence of security forces. Many people accused the militias online of using violence and live ammunition against students. The state media meanwhile spoke of a calm situation and accused the media abroad of spreading lies. Dozens of motorists are said to have blocked the streets around the campus to stop security forces. There are said to be many arrests.
The demonstrations were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini a good two weeks ago. The moral police had arrested her because of her alleged “un-Islamic outfit”. What happened to Amini after that is unclear. The woman fell into a coma and died in a hospital on September 16. Critics accuse the morality police of using violence; the police deny it. Since the young woman’s death, thousands of people have been demonstrating across the country against the repressive course taken by the government and security forces, as well as against the Islamic system.
