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Iranian Student Claims University Officials Behind Arrests


An Iranian student who was imprisoned after being accused of acting against national security says her university facilitated her arrest and the arrests of other students.

Mahdiyeh Golrou was one of four students detained by police outside Tehran’s Allama Tabatabai University last month. She spent eight days in Tehran's notorious Evin prison before being released.

The students had been demonstrating against the university's decision to suspend them from classes after they had protested the closing of a student publication by university officials.

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, Golrou said she believes the arrests were coordinated between university security forces and the police. Golrou also accused the head of the university, Seyed Sadreddin Shariati, of being personally involved in the case and of trying to pit the students against each other.

Golrou said the students refused to sign a statement pledging not to organize further protests.

In an interview with Radio Farda, Hamid Seyedi, the university's chief of security, said the students had "acted against rules and discipline" but said they would be readmitted to their classes in February.

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"Watchdog" is a blog with a singular mission -- to monitor the latest developments concerning human rights, civil society, and press freedom. We'll pay particular attention to reports concerning countries in RFE/RL's broadcast region.

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