Students for Freedom and Equality

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Students for Freedom and Equality
دانشجویان آزادی‌خواه و برابری‌طلب
Founded2006
Dissolved2009
IdeologySocialism

Students for Freedom and Equality (SFE) (Persian: دانشجویان آزادی‌خواه و برابری‌طلب, romanizedDaneshjooyan-e Azadikhah va Barabaritalab) was a left-wing Iranian student organization that was active between 2006 and 2009.[1][2][3] After the Iranian Cultural Revolution (1980–1983), Students for Freedom and Equality represented the first organized presence of left-wing student activism across Iran's universities.[1]

In December 2007, Students for Freedom and Equality organized a series of demonstrations on several campuses, commemorating Iran's Student Day.[1][4] Ahead of the demonstrations, agents of Iran's Military Intelligence began arresting student activists belonging to Students for Freedom and Equality.[4] According to Human Rights Watch, during this country-wide crackdown on the organization, over 40 student activists were arrested and tortured.[4]

Founding[edit]

Although left-wing activists had a significant presence in some universities since the early 2000s, the announcement of the existence of Students for Freedom and Equality took place in 2006. During the June 2006 student protests, a group of left-wing students issued a statement entitled "University is not a barracks" and signed it as Students for Freedom and Equality.[5]

According to the enactments of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, non-Islamic organizations are not allowed to operate in universities. Either before or after their Student Day demonstration on December 4, 2007, Students for Freedom and Equality were not an "organization" in the general sense, but consisted of left-wing students organized around a variety of student and political activities.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Vahabzadeh, Peyman (2021). "Students for Freedom and Equality: The Inevitable Return of the Left in Post-Revolutionary Iran". Iranian Studies. (5-6) (54): 843–858. doi:10.1080/00210862.2020.1836952. S2CID 234023015. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  2. ^ Boghrati, Niusha (8 July 2008). "Leftist Students Square Off Against President in Iran". World Press. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  3. ^ Bagheri, Behzad. "Socialist resistance in Iran". Red Flag. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Iran: Detained Students May Face Torture". Human Rights Watch. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "جنبش دانشجویی، بر باد رفتن امید یا تغییر استراتژی؟". آسو (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-06-21.