Shahrudi gives directive to grant freedom, leave of absence to jailed students

Tehran Times:

Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi on Monday issued a directive to grant freedom or leave of absence to jailed students.

He said in a meeting with Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi that students are the most popular class of society and should not be used as tools in the hands of political parties outside the campus.

"University is cradle of science and thought and it should not turn into a club for political parties," Ayatollah Shahrudi said.

Ayatollah Shahrudi called on Zahedi to provide the Judiciary with a list of students kept in prisons immediately to free them or grant leave of absence to them. READ MORE

He said that the students should enjoy Islamic mercy under the current circumstances that understanding and love to fellow citizens prevail in the Iranian society. Also in a separate meeting with top Judiciary official, Shahrudi referring to Europeans' conduct regarding Iran's nuclear dossier, said on Monday, "EU should bear in mind if its conduct would lead to depriving Iran of its natural rights it would definitely have negative effects on our mutual ties."

He added, "That is the reason why we need to resort to all possible political and economic means aimed at materializing that objective and benefit from that natural right." The Judiciary Chief said, "We are currently engaged in an annual $20-25 billion trade and banking transactions with the European countries, but it seems keeping in mind the current developments we would have to thoroughly revise our relations with EU, including decreasing our trade ties with them drastically."

Shahrudi added, "There are signs of sovereign political diplomacy and resistance on basic stands in measures recently adopted by the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), that are manifestation of the Iranian nation's righteous demands and those of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Further appreciating the SNSC conduct, he reiterated, "Such measures and this strong diplomatic approach should have been adopted resolutely long ago."