Student Union-Office to Foster Unity

In support of “European Students Union” and “Iranian Youth Network” for Europe-wide protests

Statement from the Student Union-Office to Foster Unity
In support of “European Students Union” and “Iranian Youth Network” for Europe-wide protests

Dear Friends at the European Students Union!
Thirty-one years ago, the people of Iran, , in a peaceful revolution against the dictator ruling their country went to the streets with the aim of democracy, justice and an end to autarchy. During that time, students were the main opposition group against the ruling government.

31 years ago, Iranian students residing in various European countries, in cooperation with their European peers spread the voice of Iranians against the Shah and made it possible for the Western world to hear the voice of Iranians in the country. They succeeded to show the face of the Shah that was oppressing human and civil rights in Iran. Unfortunately this revolution was diverted from the beginning. The revolution which came with the hope for freedom and justice became a religious autarchy at a very high cost.

Last June, by coup, the militia and the military that were hiding in suits brought back Ahmadi Nejad to power, ignoring and oppressing the will of the nation which had voted against him and his political point of view. Ahmadi Nejad is the symbol of dictatorship, violence and fundamentalism.

Over the past 9 months, those in power in Iran have tried to silence the Iranian people by killing, imprisoning and torturing them.
However, Iranian youth and students have chosen a nonviolent path to fight the dictatorship ruling Iran.

In a time when the young people of our neighbouring countries of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, express their objections through violent attacks including suicide-bombing, students and youth in Iran have rejected violence and sought peaceful and modern ways such as the internet to struggle with the dictatorship.
Dear Friend’s at European Students Union!
As you have probably followed the news about Iran, you know that thousands of students have been summoned to disciplinary committees at their universities and have been illegally forced to quit their studies. Hundreds more have been arrested and kept in prisons and many have been tortured and murdered there. However, Ahmadi Nejad has kept the authority that was responsible for all those tortures and murders in his governing system.
It has been more 40 days since one of the members of our central committee and the spokesperson of the Office to Foster Unity, our courageous friend Ms. Bahareh Hedayat who talked to you over a video message in a conference in December, was arrested, tortured and kept in an isolated cell. Her right to a lawyer was denied and she cannot even have visits with her family. She has been charged for trying to give voice the Iranian Students to European Students. Morteza Smyary another member of our union has been charged in court for trying to meet with representatives from European Parliament. Milad Asadi and Mehdi Arabshahi two other members have been arrested and kept in prisons already for months.
Yes, this is only a small corner of the dark and tragic life of student activists in Iran these days.
The Office to Foster Unity expresses its appreciation towards European Student Union for their support and showing solidarity with the green movement of the Iranian people and protesting on 22 Bahman.

What highlights students’ demands on this day, not only in Iran but in Europe and all parts of the world, and what brings them closer together, are common, universal values such as freedom, peace, democracy and human rights. We request that European students and students all around the world show solidarity with Iranian students by protesting and marching against the government which falsely claims and calls itself the representative of the Iranian people. We call for your support.

With the hope for living in a free, peaceful and equal world,
Student Union-Office to Foster Unity