Several teachers were arrested during the protests, including Fatemeh Tadrisi in Tehran, Atakeh Rajabi in Mashhad, and Fateh Osmani and Farzad Safikhani in Sanandaj.
Fatemeh Tadrisi, a teacher living in Tehran, was apprehended by security forces on May 9, 2023, while participating in a gathering at Baharestan Square in front of the parliament. After being detained, she announced her transfer to Qarchak prison in a phone call.
No information regarding the charges against Tadrisi has been made available at the time of writing this report. This marks the third time Tadrisi has been arrested since the start of the protests in September 2022, having previously spent time in Karaj’s Fardis (Kachouii) and Evin prisons.
The Khorasan Department of Education dismissed her from her job on January 5, 2023, due to her support of the nationwide protests. The reasons for her arrest and charges against her, as well as her current location, remain unknown. Security forces later ransacked Ms. Rajabi’s residence.
In addition to the arrests during the recent protests, some teachers have been indicted and summoned to court. Kowsar Badaghi Pegah, a physical education teacher at a high school in Izeh, has been summoned to the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court.
She must appear on June 17 to defend herself against charges of “gathering and collusion to disrupt domestic security, anti-regime propaganda activities, and membership in opposition groups.” Badaghi Pegah had previously been summoned due to her activities, and she is one of the 11 activist teachers in the Khuzestan province who have been issued indictments and summoned to the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court.
The framework of activities for the Teachers’ Trade Union and the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Associations is defined and clear based on their constitution and demands. Despite the ongoing protests and arrests, the Iranian Education Ministry has yet to respond to the teachers’ demands, prompting continued unrest among the country’s educators.
The ongoing protests and the arrest of several teachers highlight the increasing tensions between the Iranian government and its educators. With no clear response from the Education Ministry, it remains uncertain how the situation will develop and whether the Iranian government will address the concerns of its teachers.
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