The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, said on Saturday that the students will not serve the interests of the “enemy”, citing the “external forces” he believes are instigating protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.
Mahsa Amini, 22, was arrested on September 13 by Tehran’s so-called moral police for allegedly violating Iran’s strict female dress code and not wearing the ‘hijab’ properly. She died in hospital three days later. His death sparked a series of protests across the country, namely in several universities.
Iranian authorities claim the moral police had nothing to do with the girl’s death and Tehran accuses “external forces” of instigating the protests, namely the United States.
“The enemy thought they could achieve their goals in the universities, ignoring the fact that our students and professors are vigilant and will not allow the enemy’s false dreams to come true”Raissi said, according to a presidential statement.
Academics “will certainly defeat the enemy,” he added.
The Iranian president made the statement in Tehran at the start of the academic year, in front of students from Al-Zahra, Iran’s first all-female university, founded in 1964.
On Sunday, the Fars news agency reported a rally at Al-Zahra University, where female students demonstrated against the murder of Mahsa Amini.
According to local media, Sharif University, Iran’s largest scientific university, suspended classes on Monday after violent incidents between students and security forces in Tehran.
Police fired paintballs, rubber bullets and tear gas, said Mehr news agency.
Dozens of people, mostly protesters but also members of the security forces, have been killed since September 16 in demonstrations described by authorities as “riots”, while hundreds more have been arrested.
Source: DN
