”The ongoing violence in Iran against protesters is unacceptable”

MDU is concerned about the current developments relating to students and university employees in Iran.

Currently, thousands of students are protesting against the regime in Iran. The situation arose in connection with Mahsa Jîna Amini’s arrest by the Iranian police and she later died in police custody on 16 September. According to international media, security forces in Iran have fired in the streets and have used tear gas at protesting students at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran. The University is reportedly closed.

“As senior university officers, together with other higher education institutions in the sector and SUHF (the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions), we are of the opinion that the ongoing violence against protestors at universities in Iran is unacceptable. Freedom of expression, human rights and democracy are the foundation of our organisation and these events highlight that the right to nonviolent protests is essential,” says Martin Hellström, Vice-Chancellor at MDU.

MDU has ongoing partnerships with universities in Iran but has no students or staff based there.