Iranian University Imposes Restrictions On Dissident Students

Beheshti University in Tehran has declared that students with disciplinary convictions are ineligible to pursue higher education through the Exceptional Talents program.

It will penalize students punished for offences such as non-conformity with compulsory hijab laws and those supporting the 2022 uprising. Students from various universities play a significant role in the anti-regime movement, with university campuses witnessing extensive protests, sit-ins, and gatherings. 

The protests continued for several months, during which hundreds of students were violently detained or banned from entering. Government security forces attacked student dormitories at various universities multiple times.

Beheshti University asserted its right “to take action against students with such convictions, even after enrollment or during study breaks, in accordance with regulations.”

ISNA noted that “the decision is in line with the guidelines and regulations of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, as well as the executive directive approved by the Council of Exceptional Talents at Beheshti University of Tehran.”

Reports of confrontations with students, expulsions, and disciplinary committee sessions have continued to surface since the beginning of the Iranian academic year. Some female students opposing compulsory hijab have faced rulings canceling residence in dormitories.

The United Students account on the X social network criticized the decision, terming it as "legitimizing illegal deprivation of education" and stating that such decisions are independently made by the university not the Exceptional Talents Organization.