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Iranian authorities and university administrators have launched a new wave of disciplinary actions against students across the country, raising serious concerns about academic freedom, freedom of expression, due process, and the right to education.
According to reports from students at several major universities, including Sharif University of Technology, the University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University, and Iran University of Science and Technology, hundreds of students have been targeted in recent months through disciplinary investigations, suspensions, expulsions, and restrictions on access to educational services.
The reported scale of the crackdown is significant. Student sources indicate that five to seven students at Sharif University have received expulsion orders, while more than twenty students have been suspended from their studies for one to three semesters. At Shahid Beheshti University, educational systems used for course registration and academic access have reportedly been blocked for dozens of students. Meanwhile, more than one hundred disciplinary cases have been opened at Iran University of Science and Technology, and student groups estimate that between one hundred and two hundred students at the University of Tehran are currently facing disciplinary proceedings.
Many of the students affected appear to have been targeted for activities linked to peaceful protest, student activism, or expression of political views. Students report receiving phone calls and text messages informing them that disciplinary files had been opened against them, often without being provided evidence, formal written charges, or sufficient time to prepare a defense.
Particularly troubling are reports that disciplinary authorities have relied on students’ social media activity, private online communications, and digital expression as grounds for punishment. At Sharif University, students report that some of the most severe penalties, including expulsion, were based on online activity such as Telegram messages, posts on social media platforms, or even profile images.
Students interviewed by Shargh described disciplinary hearings that lacked transparency and procedural safeguards. According to these accounts, students were frequently denied access to evidence used against them, questioned about their personal beliefs and political views, and subjected to intimidation rather than impartial review. Several students characterized the proceedings as ideological interrogations rather than legitimate disciplinary processes.
At Shahid Beheshti University, students reported that access to educational systems was suspended before any disciplinary ruling had been issued, effectively preventing them from registering for classes, participating in coursework, or continuing their education. Students argue that these restrictions amount to punishment imposed prior to any finding of wrongdoing.
At the University of Tehran, students described a continuing campaign of disciplinary summonses, threats, and investigations. Student representatives and members of student councils have reportedly been among those targeted. Some students stated that they were warned that failure to cooperate could jeopardize their future access to higher education.
The disciplinary actions come as universities recently reopened following nationwide protests in January that triggered their closure, followed by war. Universities have historically played a central role in Iranian civil society and have long served as spaces for debate, activism, and political participation. In recent months, however, authorities have increasingly framed student activism as a security issue, while expanding disciplinary and judicial measures against students who participate in demonstrations or publicly express dissenting views.
The reported disciplinary proceedings also raise concerns regarding compliance with Iran’s own regulations governing student discipline. Student accounts collected by Shargh suggest violations of several principles contained in the revised disciplinary guidelines adopted in 2024, including the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair hearing, protections against arbitrary punishment, safeguards for privacy, and requirements for transparent disciplinary procedures. Reports of telephone-based accusations, virtual hearings, and disciplinary decisions based on social media monitoring have generated particular concern among students and legal observers.
The broader impact of these measures extends beyond those directly targeted. Human rights advocates warn that the growing use of expulsions, suspensions, educational bans, and disciplinary intimidation creates a climate of fear that discourages students from participating in peaceful civic activities, expressing their views, or engaging in student organizations. Such actions risk undermining universities’ role as centers of intellectual inquiry and independent thought.
NIAC strongly condemns the reported expulsions, suspensions, and disciplinary measures targeting students for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental rights. Students should not be punished for expressing their views, participating in peaceful assemblies, engaging in student activism, or exercising their freedom of expression online and offline. Access to education is a fundamental right, and universities should be spaces for learning, debate, and critical inquiry—not instruments of political repression.
We call on Iranian authorities to immediately halt disciplinary actions that violate due process, restore affected students’ access to education, reverse unjust suspensions and expulsions, and ensure that all students can exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly without fear of retaliation, intimidation, or punishment.