Around Iran: Regional Round-up

News from Iran’s provinces: Journalists condemn restrictions; a Yasuj student is arrested after reading a controversial poem; two Baha’i students are expelled; Iranian dervishes hold their largest protest of the year in Tehran; and tree-cutting is banned in Mazandaran

Protests Follow the Arrest of Student in Yasuj

Students at the University of Yasuj in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province held a rally and continue to organize gatherings to protest against the arrest of a fellow student. Hossein Mousavi was detained after reading a poem in front of an audience at the university. The head of the university’s poetry department attended the reading and objected to the poem, saying it had political overtones. Protesters have demanded for the immediate and unconditional release of Mousavi. Following the most recent protest last week, students managed to secure the backing and support of the new university president, Shapour Ramezani.

Journalists Persuade Ministry to Withdraw Repressive Measures

Following the receipt of an open letter from over 400 journalists, the Ministry of Culture has decided to halt new plans to regulate the journalism profession in Iran. Members of the press wrote to Ali Jannati, head of the Ministry of Culture, to complain that  recent measures proposed by deputy culture minister Hossein Entezami placed serious restrictions on press freedom and free speech. Measures included forcing the media to obtain special licenses and join government-sponsored writers' guilds in order to carry out their work. The letter stated that Entezami's actions were “not within the framework of his duties” and were an attempt “to create obstacles " for their work. It also emphasized that the proposals went against statements issued by both Jannati and President Rouhani regarding greater freedom for the profession, guilds and NGOs. “Since the inception of the Islamic Republic”, the letter said, those who oppose free speech have made “similar attempts” in “different ways and under different guises" to restrict the work of journalists.

Baha’i Students Expelled

Two students were expelled from Babolsar University in Mazandaran on grounds of religion. Setayesh Asadi and Sama Hashemi, who enrolled at the college early 2013, were completing their second term when they received notification of their expulsion. According to the Society Against Discrimination in Education, the students were deprived of education for belonging to the minority Baha'i faith. Upon receiving the news the students consulted the department responsible for student accounts in search of an explanation and were reportedly told, "You two are barred from receiving education as members of your faith do not have such rights."

Gonabadi Dervishes On Hunger Strike

In a show of solidarity and support for nine imprisoned Gonabadi dervishes, 3,000 dervishes begun a hunger strike last week, according to the website Majzoobane Noor. Members of the faith, which follows a Sufi Shi'ite order, held protests and there were reports that close to 2,000 people attended demonstrations before being dispersed by security guards. At one rally,  nearly 200 people were arrested, including 50 women, and police blocked entrances into a planned protest site. Dozens of people, who were assumed to be members of the sect because of their physical appearance, were arrested in Tehran.

The religious group has demanded the release of the imprisoned dervishes and issued a statement that they intended to carry out peaceful demonstrations to show their support for the imprisoned devotees.

Tree-cutting Banned in Mazandaran

The governing body of Mazandaran ordered people to stop cutting down trees in the province’s forests last week. Governor Rabee Falah-Jelodar announced the ban during a ceremony to mark National Tree-Planting Day in Iran on March 15th. Falah-Jelodar also revealed plans to mobilize volunteers for assistance in the cleaning and preservation of the province's forests and natural resources.