“We condemn the Iranian police's attack on students. Freedom of speach is a core value for a democratic society, and it is a freedom that is especially important for us as an academic institution, says Rector at The University of Bergen, Margareth Hagen.
Last weekend there were demonstrations among students at several Iranian universities. They demanded that fellow students who are imprisoned because of demonstrations against the regime should be released. On Sunday evening, the police in Iran took action against demonstrating students at one of the country's largest universities.
“The attacks in Iran must be condemned in the strongest terms by a united academic world. The situation for students and especially women is under intense pressure in Iran. Western democracies must stand together and strongly distance themselves from how the authorities treat the country's citizens” says Hagen.
The riots in Iran started after 22-year-old Masha Anini died in the capital Tehran on 16 September. Amini was arrested by the so-called "morality police" because she had not covered her hair sufficiently. According to witnesses, she was beaten up by the police during the arrest. Shortly afterwards she fell into a coma and died a few days later. Iranian police claim she died of a heart failure.
