Pressure on students: sit-in at Khajeh Nasir University and 10 Ferdowsi University students punished

A group of students at K. N. Toosi University of Technology staged a sit-in in the lobby of the university's Faculty of Mathematics in Tehran on Sunday, 4 October 2026. According to IranWire, they were protesting against the heavy suspension and expulsion rulings issued against a number of students in recent days, and demanded a review of the disciplinary cases and a halt to the expulsions.

According to Voice of America, three students at the university have been sentenced to two semesters of suspension, on the charge of “continuing guild and student activities”. IranWire had earlier reported that on Wednesday, 30 September, the university's security office barred several students from entering even though they had no disciplinary ruling against them, and university officials attributed the restriction to a confidential letter from the Ministry of Science.

Ferdowsi University rulings against the December–January protesters

In Mashhad, the disciplinary committees of Ferdowsi University have issued rulings against 10 students for taking part in the uprising of December 2025–January 2026. According to IranWire and Voice of America, one student has been expelled from the university, eight students have been given a combined total of 16 semesters of temporary suspension from their studies, and one has received a written warning.

The return of “hijab enforcers” to universities

University news sources told Voice of America that new personnel have been stationed at the entrances of Shiraz University and that scrutiny of female students' clothing has increased; the students report being humiliated and threatened with disciplinary action. At the University of Tehran, according to the same sources, the security office has barred female students from entering over what it called “short” clothing, and motorcycle patrols of “hijab enforcers” have harassed students verbally.

According to Voice of America, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, reacting to the crackdown in Iran, said that the United States stands with the people of Iran and their demand for freedom and justice and is targeting human rights violators with sanctions.

The new academic year has begun with a wave of suspension and expulsion rulings and tighter controls on students' clothing at several major universities.

Sources

• Voice of America Persian
• IranWire: K. N. Toosi students' sit-in
• IranWire: rulings against 10 Ferdowsi University students