In response to the detention of over 40 student activists in early December by the Iranian regime, a group of education union and student movement activists including several AWL members have produced the following statement. Please add your name!
Free the detained Iranian student activists!
As education workers and student activists, we condemn the detention of over forty student activists by the Iranian regime since 7 December (16 Azar in the Iranian calendar). This date has been a day of student protest in Iran for many years; it is now a symbol of Iranian students' struggle against the theocratic-capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic just as it was against the dictatorship of the Shah. Activists were arrested in the run up to the day of action, and following the demonstrations and actions which took place in a number of cities. Many are now reportedly being held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison and have been subjected to torture.
This is just the latest act of repression dealt out by the Islamic Republic; it follows an intense crackdown on the Iranian workers' movement and the brutal victimisation of leading trade unionists such as Tehran busworkers' leader Mansour Ossanlou and Saqez bakers' union activist Mahmoud Salehi. The Iranian regime is acutely aware of the growing alliance between Iran's workers' and student movements; meanwhile it is using the threat of a US attack to legitimise itself and step up its repression of dissent.
We call on the Iranian government to immediately release all detained student, women's and labour movement activists, and call on all working-class, student, left and anti-war activists and organisations in the UK for solidarity with Iranian workers, students and women against the dual threats of US militarism and theocratic-capitalist oppression.
Sofie Buckland, National Union of Students National Executive Committee and Education Not for Sale network
Stephen Brown, NUS National Secretary
Wes Streeting, NUS Vice-President Education
Koos Couvée, Communications Officer, University of Sussuex Students' Union
Laura Schwartz, NUS Women's Committee, University of East London
Sophie Lafayette, NUS Women's Committee, University of Nottingham
Aled Dilwyn Fisher, London School of Economics Students' Union executive and Young Greens membership officer (pc)
Sacha Ismail, for Alliance for Workers' Liberty students and youth
Heather Shaw, Bretton Hall Officer, Leeds University Union (2005-6)
Daniel Randall, NUS NEC (2005-6) & Secretary, University of Sheffield No Sweat Society
Pat Murphy, National Union of Teachers NEC
Tom Unterrainer, Joint Secretary, Nottingham City NUT
Pete Radcliff, Branch Secretary, Derby University UCU
Pat Markey, Branch Secretary, Northampton Association NUT
Tim Cooper, Nottingham Trent University
Sam Ross, University of Sheffield SWSS
Daniel Perrett, Cambridge University
Clare Whitney, Cambridge University
Tom Bamford, University of Sussex
Richard Houguez, Byam Shaw School of Art
Stephen Wood, President, Hull University Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Campaign (pc); Treasurer, Hull University Left Book Club
Daniel Fisher, SRC Science Representative, St. Andrews University
Molly Uzzel, SRC Representative for Women's Issues, St. Andrews University
Terry Fulton, SRC Representative for Postgraduate Accommodation, St. Andrews University
James Pollard, SRC Accommodation Representative, St. Andrews University
Harry Giles, SRC Representative for Absent Students, St. Andrews University
Alex Hayes, SRC Representative for Part-Time Students, St. Andrews University
Lukas Ross, SRC Representative for Ethnic Minorities, St. Andrews University
Marcus Mayo, SRC Representative for the School of Divinity, St. Andrews University
Martin Schmier, SRC Reprentative without Portfolio, St. Andrews University
David Broder, Kings College London
Alois T Mbawara, Sussex University, Free Zim Youth activist
Laura Rogers, Institute of Education student and trainee teacher
Joe Flynn, Youth & Students Officer, Chingford and Woodgreen Constituency Labour Party
Joe Wilson, Cambridge University
Kate Pallas, Cambridge University
Ed Maltby, Camridge University
James Ross
Mikey Franklin, School Students Against the War
Katherine McMahon, University of Edinburgh
Leonie Hannan, Royal Holloway (University of London)
Saraid Dodd, teaching assistant in East London
Tami Peterson, Birkbeck College SU Clubs & Societies Officer
Mike Rowley, Ruskin College
Michaela Mare, University of Bristol
Mark Osborn, Bromley NUT activist
Joe Conboy, University of East Anglia Students' Union, NUS Annual & Extraordinary Conferences delegate, 2007
Jalil Jalili, Worker-Communist Party of Iran (Abroad Organisation - UK)
Anna Davidson, VP Academic Affairs, Edinburgh University Students' Association
Clive Bradley
Chloe Cheeseman, Environmental & Social Justice Officer, University of Nottingham Students' Union
Susan Nash, Education Officer, Leeds University Union
Tom Sharp, Norton-Knatchbull School Association of Liberation Theorists
Neil Milbourne, Norton-Knatchbull School Association of Liberation Theorists
Justis Goldsack-Rowland, Norton-Knatchbull School Association of Liberation Theorists
Yassamine Mather, lecturer, Glasgow University
Chloe Lyons, Leeds University
Please add your or your organisation's name to this statement; it will be translated and sent to activists in Iran. Email your name to Daniel at skillz_999@hotmail.com
