Nasrin Sotoudeh Transferred to Prison Infirmary, Hunger Strikes Continue

Kaleme – According to reports received from Evin prison, Nasrin Sotoudeh, human rights lawyer on her a dry hunger strike was transferred to Evin’s infirmary on December 16th as a result of her rapidly deteriorating health. This is the third time Nasrin Sotoudeh has launched a hunger strike in the 100 days she has been incarcerated. Even though her physical health is dire as a result of her dwindling strength she has refused to end her hunger strike.

Reza Khandan, Sotoudeh’s husband and her two children are extremely worried for her wellbeing. To make matters worse, as a result of the Muharram holidays they have not been able to reach the judicial authorities to inquire about her condition.

According to reports received by Kaleme, Nima, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s three year old toddler continues to ask about his mother’s whereabouts and does not understand why his sister and father are so worried. Nasrin Sotoudeh’s daughter, Mehrabeh, who is only twelve years old, has been consoling her three year old brother these days.

Arash Sadeghi, a philosophy graduate student at Allameh Tabatabai University and Gholam Hossein Arashi, who had both protested last year’s election results, are two other prisoners currently on hunger strike in Evin and in dire physical condition. Arashi’s family who live in the city of Karaj are very concerned for their son’s well being and have no one to go to since government offices are closed for the Muharram holidays.

Gholam Hossein Arashi is one of the less known prisoners arrested after the rigged elections. Arashi was one of the 16 prisoners in Evin’s ward 350 who went on a two week hunger strike in the month of August protesting the unacceptable prison conditions. Arashi was arrested on February 6th last year and has endured very difficult conditions in ward 209 and ward 240 of Evin prison.

It is also reported that the physical conditions have deteriorated for imprisoned labour activist Reza Shahabi and imprisoned movie director and journalist Mohammad Nourizad, both who are also on hunger strike. Nourizad who reportedly suffered from gastric bleeding was transferred to the hospital. Reza Shahabi whose physical condition has deteriorated considerably is still on a hunger strike but is now drinking water. The officials have yet to respond to his complaints regarding the lack of attention to his case file.

Kaleme

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More Than 1000 Students at Islamic Azad University of Qazvin University Shout, “Death to Dictator!”

Protests in commemoration of Students’ Day began at Ghalam Circle with more than 1000 students. They started with shouting the slogan, “Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein” while the Basij forces threatened them with arrest and took videos of the protesting students.

According to Daneshjoo News, the students sang “Yare Dabestani” [My school sweetheart] and yelled “Our Ashkan is not dead!” and “Our Amir is not dead!” in memory of these two students who were slain by the government forces last year after elections. They protested against the thugs who have arrested fellow students.

Daneshjoonews –  Starting this morning, security and basij forces attempted to stop the protests by using threats against the students. The students responded by closing their second period classes and shouting the slogan, “This is a free Qazvin, it doesn’t like misery.”

The protests started in front of the Mechanical and Industrial College. As they passed the Electrical and Computer Science college, more students joined the protest. Their numbers continued to grow as they marched by the Civil Engineer and Architectural college. Protesters invited their fellow students to join them as they shouted the slogan, “devoted students, support, support!” They continued on by shouting, “arrested students must be freed,” as they demanded freedom for their fellow incarcerated students.

Since the elections of June 12, 2009, and the martyrdom of Ashkan Sohrabi and Amir Javadifar, who were two students at this university, there have been numerous protests at this school. Qazvin University has been one of the schools at the forefront of the student movement against the regime.

Daneshjoonews

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Reports of Brave Student Protests at Islamic Azad University of Qazvin

ILNA –

According to Iran News Agency, during the protest at Islamic Azad University of Qazvin,  a number of Basij forces approached the students and suggested to them that they should go to the mosque to have a discussion. But the students refused and said the suggestion was nothing but a ploy to trap them.

So far the number of protesters has exceeded 2,000. The students are furiously shouting “Allah-O Akbar” while the Basij forces are making every attempt to get students inside the mosque.

An agent attempted to arrest a student but was prevented by other students as they shouted their slogans even louder and more fierce.

ILNA

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Students Begin to Gather at Amirkabir University

Daneshjoonews –

Students at Amirkabir University have begun to protest in support of fellow incarcerated students.

According to Daneshjoo News, beginning early morning, about 50 students from Tehran’s Polytechnic University were not given permission to enter the university. Without any provocation or explanation, disciplinary agents barred the entry of the students to the campus. The university doors have been blocked by security agents who are controlling the movements by students.

Inside the university, disciplinary agents are not allowing any students to sit or stand in the quad where the students had planned to gather. According to news so far, many of the morning classes have been shut down by the students.

In order to close communications between the student groups and the outside world, the school’s Internet has been completely shut off. Basij agents have blocked the students from being able to gather and are attempting to intimidate them by verbal abuse and threats of violence.

Every moment more and more students are joining the protests. So far the numerous disciplinary agents and Basij members have not been able to fully disperse the students. Full news will be dispatched soon.

Daneshjoonews

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Clashes Continue Between Polytechnic Students (AmirKabir)and Basij, 4 Students Arrested

Daneshjoonews –

According to Daneshjoo News, during clashes between students and security forces, four students were arrested on the orders of Mr. Bagheri, a school security administrator who has played a large role in the repressions that have occurred in the past years. A number of the school custodians also helped for this to take place. There is still no news from those arrested.

There are reports that in today’s protest at Amirkabir University that students who were holding pictures of Majid Tavakoli were assaulted by Basij forces.

Daneshjoonews

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Security Agents Attack Student Who Chanted “Allah O Akbar”

Iran News Agency –  At 10:00am today, 16 Azar (Student Day), an Islamic Azad University of Qazvin student was chanting “Allah O Akbar” in protest to security agents, assuming the slogan would be safe to shout. However, the security agents immediately attacked and attempted to stop him by covering his mouth, but the rest of the students joined him and they began shouting slogans. The Basij forces continued to threaten and torment the student and kept an eye on him until noon. Around 1:00pm when he had become weak and sick, the school’s security agents took him away and there is still no news of his whereabouts.

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Students: “Mr. Khamenei, Hear Voices of Students Before it is Too Late!”

According to the site of Students Online, a group of Sharif University of Technology students sent a message in commemoration of 16 Azar, Student Day:

“The University is the last fortress for freedom, it is a stronghold that is in the forefront of the struggle against oppression and injustice. This has come to us as sacred and holy from the previous generations. We will defend this until the last drop of our blood, and we shall pass it on to the future generations; know that this triumph is inevitable.”

In this statement there was also a warning to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei:

“Know that we will not step back and we will continue on our quest for freedom. Victory will be the final outcome for the people. Hear the voices of the loyal descendants of this land before it is too late.”

IranPressNews

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Azad Arak University closed down on Student Day, 16 Azar

According to Jaras News, school administrators shut down Azad Arak University without any warning on Students’ Day. This university has been the venue for many large protests since the last Iranian Presidential election. It was shut today because Ahmadinejad traveled to this town.

A large number of students from this university gathered in front of the closed university doors and were confronted by security forces as they protested against their school’s closing.

Unity4Iran

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