Irán, República Islámica del - Teachers arrested and harassed (2012)

In March, around 1,000 teachers were arrested in Tehran during their third demonstration calling for increased wages and the resignation of the Education Minister. Many were later released but some 150 remained in custody for varying periods. The majority of teachers in Iran live way below the poverty line and many hold several jobs. On International teacher’s Day, 2 May, a number of jailed Iranian teachers issued a statement calling for an end to the persecution of teachers for their union activities. Those signing included Advar Tahkim Vahdat spokesman Abdollah Momeni and Mohammad Davari, a member of the central council of the Teachers’ Organisation of Iran who were arrested during the crackdown after the June 2009 presidential election and are currently serving five-year sentences on security charges. Persecution continued of the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) with seven reported arrests and prison sentences.