Network of Concerned Historians calls for letters on behalf of history lecturer in Iran

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NETWORK OF CONCERNED  HISTORIANS- circular no. 65

Available in  pdf-format  at:http://www.concernedhistorians.org/content/ca.html

Dear  colleagues,

Today, 16 March 2011, the Network for Education and Academic  Rights (NEAR) reports about the dismissal of a history lecturer in Iran. In  [late February 2011], the University Security Unit of Payame Noor University in  Mashhad requested the faculty of arts not to assign courses at the beginning of  the new term to history lecturer Seyed Hossein Javdani. Javdani  declared that this de facto dismissal, of which he had not been directly  informed, was connected to articles he wrote and published on various websites  before and after the June 2009 presidential elections (mostly about the Green  movement that staged protest after these elections) and had nothing to do with  his lectureship since he never mentioned national politics in his classes.We  hope that you can send the recommended urgent appeals immediately. Please  remember to write in your professional capacity.

With best  wishes,

Antoon De Baets
(Network of Concerned  Historians)

♦♦♦♦♦

Network for Education  and Academic Rights (NEAR) - 16 March 2011

IRANIAN  UNIVERSITY LECTURER BANNED FROM TEACHING
AFTER PUBLISHING CRITICAL  ARTICLES

[http://www.nearinternational.org/alert-detail.asp?alertid=585]

Seyed  Hossein Javdani, a history lecturer at Payame Noor University in Mashhad, was  dismissed after publishing critical articles, the International Campaign for  Human Rights in Iran reported on 7 March 2011.

Javdani, was banned from  teaching at Payame Noor University after the University Security Unit and  security organizations requested the Faculty not to assign him courses at the  beginning of the new term. He declared that he has not been directly informed of  his dismissal.

According to Javdani, who is also a member of the Central  Council of Khorasan's Tahkim-e Vahdat Alumni Association (Advar) branch, and  former Secretary of Tehran University's Islamic Association of Democracy-Seeking  Students, his activities outside the university are not in any measure related  to his function and duties as a lecturer. He declared that his dismissal is  strictly connected to articles he wrote before and after the presidential  election and published on various websites, and have nothing to do with his  activity within the university since he never mentioned national politics during  his classes.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Javdani, who was  previously threatened with dismissal in the middle of last term because of  critical articles, explains that the Iranian regime uses dismissals as a way to  place opponents under financial and economic pressure to stop their political  activities. He added that several other lecturers from other faculties might  also be banned from teaching for political reasons. Following his dismissal,  Javdani tried to fight the decision but he was ignored by the university  officials, who receive external pressures from the regime. Reporting his  dismissal as a form of protest is his last resort.

[Related link:  http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2011/03/faculty-member-dismissal]

RECOMMENDED  ACTION:
**Respectfully urging the authorities to re-examine the  circumstances of Mr Javdani's dismissal.
**Respectfully reminding Iran that  as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it  has an obligation to guarantee freedom of expression.

APPEALS  TO:
Please send appeals to:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali  Khamenei
**Leader of the Islamic Republic
**The Office of the Supreme  Leader
**Shoahada Street
**Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
**Email:  info_leader@leader.ir

His Excellency Dr. Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad
**President, Islamic Republic of Iran
**Palestine  Avenue
**Azerbaijan Intersection
**Tehran, Islamic Republic of  Iran
**Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

Mr Kamran  Daneshjoo
**Minister of Science, Research and Technology
**Pirouzan  Jonoubi Avenue
**Sanaat Square
**Tehran
**Islamic Republic of  Iran
**Email: info@msrt.ir

COPIES TO:
Please send  copies to:

Mr. Mohammad Khazaee
**Ambassador of Iran to the United  Nations
**Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United  Nations
**622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
**New York, NY 10017,  USA
**Email: iran@un.int

Iranian Ambassador to your country of  residence
**For contact details for the Iranian Embassy in your country,  please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Network for Education and  Academic Rights (NEAR)
**London South Bank University
**Technopark
**90  London Road,
**SE1 9LN London, UK
**Tel: +44 (0) 20 7021 0884
**Fax:  +44 (0) 20 7021 0881
**Email: contact@nearinternational.org