Students Protest At Azad University

A protest gathering was held today at the Central branch of Azad University in Tehran. The website "Daneshjoonews," which covers issues related to Iran's student movement, has posted a video of the protest in which students are singing a protest song.



A student activist who did not want to be named told RFE/RL that Basij forces at the university attacked protesting students and injured several of them. He said students were chanting "Death to the Dictator" and "Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein." "Daneshjoonews" reports that some were also calling for the release of their jailed colleagues. According to the website, several hundreds students took part in the protest.

Last week two student leaders, Bahareh Hedayat and Milad Assadi, were sentenced to heavy prison terms in what has been described by observers as an attempt by the Iranian establishment to intimidate students ahead of the June 12 anniversary of last year's disputed presidential vote.

-- Golnaz Esfandiari