Iran resumes crackdown in university halls

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website

Iran’s para-military Bassij force attacked students in a university dormitory in the north-eastern town of Neishabour Sunday evening, one of the students on campus at the time told Iran Focus in an email interview.

“About 20 of the Bassijis burst in with clubs and knifes and started attacking us as we were about to break our fast”, the student who requested anonymity said, referring to the Islamic tradition during the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn until dusk.

Most of the 60 or so residents were first year students, he said.

“About half a dozen of us were injured badly and had to be taken to hospital. The rest of us were all shook up”, the student said, adding that police had not come to their aid despite being informed of the attack.

“The police did not help us because the Bassij got prior approval to carry out the attack”, he added. READ MORE

So far no one has been arrested for Sunday’s attack.

The Bassij - affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - are hard-line Islamist vigilantes loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and were recently given new powers to act as the country’s back-up police force.

The attack on the all-male university dormitory in Neishabour was reminiscent of the July 1999 crackdown on student dormitories in Tehran when at least one student was killed after being thrown out of the window.

The attack had widespread repercussions and led to mass student-led demonstrations across the country.