Mohammad Habibi, a teacher and union activist in Tehran, is a resilient and prominent figure in Iran’s education rights movement, standing against oppression under the Islamic regime. His commitment to defending the rights of teachers and students has led to repeated arrests, torture, and harassment by Iranian authorities, making him a symbol of union resistance.
Habibi’s activism, as spokesperson of the teacher association in the Tehran province, intensified during the 2022 "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, sparked by Jina Amini’s [1] death and organised by young women and students demanding justice and freedom. Despite brutal government repression, which led to the deaths of over 90 youths, Habibi stood by students and continued his advocacy, especially highlighting serial poisonings targeting girls' schools.
According to a report by Education International , in partnership with the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations (CCITTA), a series of chemical attacks in 2022-23 targeted girls’ schools , disrupting their education, health, and caused widespread fear, forcing parents to keep girls at home. The students reported at the time severe physical symptoms including sore eyes and throats, difficulty breathing, headaches, stomach aches, low blood pressure, weak legs and heart palpitations.
In 2023, due to his union activism and continuous efforts to improve conditions for teachers, Habibi was dismissed from his teaching position. Despite these threats and retaliations, the 45-year-old union leader continued to support the rights of teachers and students, which led to his most recent jail sentence of six months to be served from November 11, 2024.
In September 2024, on the second anniversary of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, Iranian authorities heightened restrictions, especially in Kurdish areas, to suppress protests. Despite these measures, women activists, including jailed Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, held symbolic protests like hunger strikes to spotlight demands for freedom.
Earlier this month, Ahoo Daryaei gained international attention for protesting Iran's strict dress code by stripping down to her undergarments after alleged harassment by Basij paramilitary members at Tehran's Islamic Azad University. Videos of her public protest circulated widely before plainclothes officers detained her. Amnesty International has called for her immediate release and an investigation into the reported mistreatment during her detention.
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Jina Amini was also known as Mahsa Amini. Jina was her original Kurdish first name, Mahsa was her Persian name.