Iran student riots, July 1999
Iranian Student Protests of July, 1999 (Also known as 18th of Tir and Kuye Daneshgah Disaster (Persian: فاجعه کوی دانشگاه ) in Iran) (7-13 July[1]) were the most widespread and violent public protests in Iran, since the early years of the Iranian Revolution.
The protests began on the eve of July 9, 1999 (18th Tir of year 1378 in the Persian calendar), after a peaceful demonstration by a group of students of Tehran University against the closure of the reformist newspaper, Salam, by the press court. Salam newspaper (Persian: روزنامه سلام) was operated by the Militant Clerics League, the reformist political party to which the then President, Mohammad Khatami belonged. The student groups, which at the time were considered one of the major supporters of Mr. Khatami and his reform programs, were protesting in support of Khatami against the closure of the newspaper by the judiciary, which was controlled by the hardline opponents of President Khatami.
The protests spread to the student dormitories of Tehran University during the night and were brutally suppressed by the plain clothes Basij and Ansar-e-Hezbollah Militant groups. The police force, which is also controlled by the hardline faction of the Iranian political establishment, began to intervene in support of the militant groups after a few hours. The armed forces, (including the police force) are not controlled by the President in Iran (See Politics of Iran). Hardliners and the police chased the students to the dormitories, inflicting heavy damage on the buildings and brutally attacking the demonstrators. Street riots followed for almost a week, leading to several arrests and injuries, and at least one confirmed fatal shooting, namely that of Ezzat Ebrahim Nejad. The death of Ebrahim Nejad was the only one acknowledged by the state-controlled Iranian television, however, major student groups and the foreign media have claimed more than 17 dead during the week of violent protests. Major Iranian cities such as Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz and Esfahan were scenes of violent and widespead demonstrations as well.
The protests continued at Tabriz University on July 11, 1999 (20th of Tir) and police and hardliners responded similarly in Tabriz universities and schools. They entered the universities and brutally attacked students; at least 2 students were killed and many were badly injured or arrested.
After the incident, the 18th of Tir protests have become a symbol of violent struggle against the clerical establishment of Iran.
As of 31 July 2006, several students involved in the demonstration were still in jail. Of those students, Akbar Mohammadi died of a hunger strike while protesting against his prison sentence.[2].
See also
- Human rights in Iran
- Ahmad Batebi
- Akbar Mohammadi
- Manuchehr Mohammadi
- Evin Prison
- 2nd of Khordad Movement
- Ezzat Ebrahim-Nejad (was murdered in this event by Basij)
External links
- BBC News' Iran student protests: Five years on
- Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi's diary of July 9, 1999 (in Persian)
- an interview from "Radio International" with Mansoor Hekmat, Iranian communist leader with the title of "Mass movement to overthrow the regime is starting" (in Persian)
- an Interview from "Radio Hambastegi, Sweden" with Mansoor Hekmat, Iranian Communist leader on the Summer of 1999 events in Iran (sound document)
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