Iran: Reports of a student demonstration held in Tehran on 13 January 2001

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Author Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada
Publication Date 19 July 2001
Citation / Document Symbol IRN37429.E
Reference 5
Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iran: Reports of a student demonstration held in Tehran on 13 January 2001, 19 July 2001, IRN37429.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be470.html [accessed 17 September 2023]
DisclaimerThis is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

No information about a student demonstration held in Tehran on 13 January 2001 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, mention was made of a "sit-in" by six students on 23 January 2001 outside the parliament in Tehran (BBC 23 January 2001). In a translated report appearing on the website of the World News Connection, the Iranian newspaper Hayat-e Now, reported that:

the students are protesting against the Berlin [Conference] court verdicts, the poor conditions of imprisoned students and political prisoners, and the detention of Eng Ali Afshari, the secretary of the Islamic Association of Students of Amir Kabir University and the head of the political section of the Office for Fostering Unity [national university students' association], and Eng Ezzatollah Sahabi, and calling for their unconditional release (Hayat-e Now 23 Jan. 2001).

Explaining the small numbers of students involved, the same report stated that:

Interior Ministry permits are required for demonstrations and the ISNA [Iranian Students' News Agency] report quotes the students as saying that 'the sit-in does not require a permit because of the small number taking part' (ibid.).

The Associated Press, reporting that seven students were involved, said that the protest was later called off after the students reportedly received "assurances from legislators that the parliament would raise the case of the detained political activists with the judiciary" (AP 23 Jan. 2001).

For more information about the Berlin Conference, please refer to Response to Information Request IRN35804.E of 8 December 2000.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Associated Press (AP). 23 January 2001. " Iran Court Summons Reform Official." NEXIS.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 23 January 2001. "Iranian Students in Hi-Tech Protest." [Accessed 19 July 2001]

Hayat-e Now [Tehran, in Persian]. 23 January 2001. "Iran: Students Protesting Against Court Verdict Establish Facilities for Internet Dialogue." (FBIS-NES-2001-0123 23 Jan. 2001/WNC) [Accessed 19 July 2001]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases and files

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]

Middle East International

Nexis

Internet sites including:

Cable News Network (CNN)

IranMania

Iran Press Service

Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)

NetIran

New York Times

Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran

Tehran Times

Search engine:

Google

Copyright notice: This document is published with the permission of the copyright holder and producer Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). The original version of this document may be found on the offical website of the IRB at http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/. Documents earlier than 2003 may be found only on Refworld.

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