Tehran University Professor Forced Out Over Support For Protests
A leading scientist has resigned from his post at an Iran university after being interrogated for voicing support for protesting students.
A leading scientist has resigned from his post at an Iran university after being interrogated for voicing support for protesting students.
Akbar Jafari was the youngest professor at Sharif University in Tehran.
A specialist in quantum materials with a position on the board of directors of the Iranian Physics Society, he faced scrutiny after expressing support for students during events in the previous year.
The news was brought to light by Ali Sharifi Zarchi, a former professor expelled from Sharif University, who reported the incident on the X network.
Zarchi detailed Jafari's resignation, stating that he formally announced his decision through a letter addressed to the Sharif faculty.
The aftermath of the 2022 protests has seen increased pressures on both students and faculty engaged in protests. The Islamic Republic's response to dissenting professors typically involves measures such as expulsion, suspension, or forced retirement.
Over recent years, there has been a notable surge in the intervention of security institutions within universities. This extends beyond students to include protesting professors, who are increasingly subjected to summoning and interrogation by university security and other related institutions.
In the wake of protests following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, reports have surfaced regarding the recruitment of numerous individuals sympathetic to the Islamic Republic as professors in universities. The development has sparked controversy and drawn widespread attention.
Despite the recent surge in dismissals, expulsions, and suspensions of university professors and faculty members in Iran, officials from the Islamic Republic have either denied the issue or characterized its causes as non-political.
