Free the detained Iranian student activists!

As education workers and student activists, we condemn the detention of over thirty student activists by the Iranian regime on 7th December. This date (16^th Azar in the Iranian calendar) has traditionally been a day of student protest in Iran, and the activists were arrested following rallies for freedom, equality and human rights in a number of cities.

This is just the latest act of repression meted out by the Islamic Republic; it follows an intense crackdown on the Iranian workers' movement and the brutal victimisation of leading trade unionists such as Mahmoud Salehi and Mansour Ossanlou. The Iranian regime is acutely aware of the growing alliance between Iran's workers' and student movements.

We call on the Iranian government to immediately release all detained Student and labour movement activists, and call on all left and working-class activists and rganisations in the UK for solidarity with Iranian workers, women and students against the dual threats of US militarism and theocratic-capitalist oppression.

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Sofie Buckland, NUS National Executive Committee and Education Not for Sale

Laura Schwartz, NUS Women's Committee

Sophie Lafayette, NUS Women's Committee

Heather Shaw, Bretton Hall Officer, Leeds University Union (2005-6)

Daniel Randall, NUS NEC (2005-6) & Secretary, University of Sheffield

No Sweat Society

Pat Murphy, NUT NEC

Tom Unterrainer, Joint Secretary, Nottingham City NUT

Pete Radcliff, Branch Secretary, Derby University UCU

Pat Market, Branch Secretary, Northampton Association NUT

Tim Cooper, Nottingham Trent University

Daniel Fisher, SRC Science Representative, St. Andrews University

Molly Uzzel, SRC Representative for Women's Issues, St. Andrews University

Terry Fulton, SRC Representative for Postgraduate Accomadation, St.Andrews University

James Pollard, SRC Accomadation Representative, St. Andrews University

Harry Giles, SRC Representative for Absent Students, St. Andrews University

Alex Hayes, SRC Representative for Part-Time Students, St. Andrews University

Lukas Ross, SRC Representative for Ethnic Minorities, St. Andrews University

Marcus Mayo, SRC Representative for the School of Divinity, St.Andrews University

Martin Schmier, SRC Reprentative without Portfolio, St. Andrews University

Please add your or your organisation's name to this statement; it will be

translated and sent to activists in Iran. Email your name to Daniel at

skillz_999@hotmail.com