Iranian police on Saturday said several suspects were arrested in relation to the killing of a 19-year-old university student whose murder has prompted protests at Tehran University.
Amir Mohammad Khaleghi, who studied business, was beaten to death by muggers on Wednesday near his university hostel, local media reported. His death has triggered national anger, with students protesting to demand campus security.
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Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi also confirmed the arrests, saying that investigations are continuing. “The authorities are striving to identify the culprit as soon as possible and bring him to justice,” he told judiciary-affiliated Mizan Online.
Dozens of students protested on Friday, demanding action from university authorities. Tensions rose when plainclothes security forces stepped in, Ham Mihan daily reported. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has ordered Science Minister Hossein Simaei Sarraf to pursue the case, IRNA news agency reported. Sarraf reacted by announcing the resignation of the head of dormitory management at Tehran University but dismissing reports of arrests of students after the protests.
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref ordered a swift probe into the murder, while Fatemeh Mohajerani, a government spokeswoman, noted that student security is a major priority. On his part, caretaker head of Tehran University, Hossein Hosseini, visited the Friday student gathering to show support.
Protests follow a pattern of student-driven activism in the country. Student bodies have since long been focal points of serious political movements such as the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the 1999 demonstrations for freedom of the press. On Saturday, the body of Khaleghi was buried in his native village of South Khorasan province.
