Iran teachers' union rues student suicide 'tsunami'
An Iranian teacher's union has sounded the alarm over a rise in student suicides, blaming it in part on religious morality enforcement and neglect of youth mental health issues.
An Iranian teacher's union has sounded the alarm over a rise in student suicides, blaming it in part on religious morality enforcement and neglect of youth mental health issues.
The latest suicide of a female student is part of a "harrowing cycle deeply rooted in flawed policies, systemic pressures within the education sector, ideological impositions, and the disregard of authorities for the growing mental health crisis in schools," the Coordinating Council of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA) said in a statement on Thursday.
The union was referring to the death of 16-year-old Sogand Zamanpour, who died by suicide in Masjed Soleiman in southwestern Iran. No further details about her case publicly known.
Her death follows that of Aynaz Karimi in Kazeroon, Fars province, earlier this month. Aynaz faced pressure from her school principal for minor infractions, including wearing nail polish and dyeing her hair, according to the Coordination Council of Iranian Educators' Trade Associations. This led to her eventual expulsion, after which she ended her life—a case that CCITTA said highlights the psychological toll of a repressive educational environment.
A week earlier, Arezou, a 16-year-old Afghan-Iranian girl in Tehran, ended her life after a confrontation with her school principal over wearing jeans instead of the required uniform. Her father explained that she left the school upset and later jumped from a sixth-floor apartment. He has held the school accountable for her death and filed a formal complaint.
Arezou’s case sparked comparisons on social media between Afghan and Iranian girls, with some pointing out the irony of escaping Taliban oppression only to face similar restrictions in Iran.
The teacher's union said the grim phenomenon is linked to official neglect of students' mental health. The council condemned the practice of using schools to instill ideological beliefs, warning that such policies strip students of their identity and future.
Established in 2001, CCITTA serves as the coordinating body for around 20 provincial chapters of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association (ITTA). The council further criticized the government’s education policies for imposing strict ideological frameworks that undermine students' individuality and motivation.
Reflecting on the initial cases, Zahra Behrouz Azar, Deputy for Women’s Affairs in Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, addressed the suicides of two female students in an interview with Ham-Mihan Online earlier this month.
"While it may not be accurate to suggest an upward trend, even these two cases are far too many and deeply unacceptable," she said.
The strict enforcement of hijab rules in Iran continues to place significant pressure on women and girls and triggered months-long protests in 2022 following the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.
Nevertheless, Iran’s parliament is set to unveil its Hijab and Chastity Law next month, which introduces new fines for violations of mandatory hijab regulations, Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on Wednesday.
Ghalibaf acknowledged the delay in finalizing the law was due to security concerns stemming from the 2022 protests.
At a recent consultation in Germany, attendees shared testimonies and called for international support to address human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed during and after the protests.
“I don’t want to imagine a future where we see the perpetrators of these crimes posting on Instagram. Perpetrators need to be held accountable,” said one of the survivors whose identity was withheld for safety concerns.
While some survivors demanded justice for crimes committed, many called for systemic reform. “The law is being used as a weapon against us,” said another participant, emphasizing the need for legal reform to eliminate discrimination against women and minorities.
Participants also highlighted the courage of those inside Iran who supported protesters, including medical professionals and lawyers, often at great personal risk.
The UN Fact Finding Mission on Iran was established by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2022 to investigate abuses in Iran following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in custody for violating the country’s mandatory hijab rules.
The nationwide protests sparked by her death were met with a crackdown that left countless victims of arbitrary detention, torture, and gender-based violence, including children and those blinded or severely injured by security forces.
Participants at the consultation included Iranians who had fled persecution and sought protection in Germany. Parents who lost loved ones in the protests described enduring repression, including denial of the right to mourn. They shared accounts of pervasive surveillance and judicial harassment in Iran that frustrate efforts for accountability.
“In this hearing, survivors - including children, and young women and men - spoke of their priorities for truth, justice, accountability and reparations,” said Sara Hossain, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission in a press release on Wednesday.
The survivors welcomed the Fact-Finding Mission’s ongoing efforts but voiced disappointment at the lack of international action to pressure Iran into complying with its human rights obligations.
The Mission, which has gathered thousands of pieces of evidence, is preparing a roadmap for truth, justice, and reparations to present to the UN Human Rights Council in 2025. Viviana Krsticevic, a member of the Mission, highlighted plans for actionable recommendations, including measures for victim rehabilitation and accountability.
Shaheen Sardar Ali, another Mission member, emphasized the courage of the survivors and those who supported them inside Iran, such as medical professionals and lawyers, despite significant risks. “Their voices remind us of the continued need for solidarity and support,” Ali said.
Escalating repression and global condemnation
Amid these efforts, Iran’s human rights record continues to draw global criticism. A joint statement from 18 human rights organizations condemned the recent death sentences handed down to Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi and humanitarian worker Pakhshan Azizi.
The organizations accused Iran of violating their rights to fair trials and extracting forced confessions under torture.
“These women, with their determination and courage, have initiated a new chapter in the struggle for freedom and equality,” the statement read, warning that their executions would further galvanize resistance against the Iranian government.
The organizations also noted that since the start of the protests, the Iranian government has escalated executions to instill fear, targeting women and Kurdish communities disproportionately. This systemic repression, the statement argued, underscores the urgent need for international action to hold Iran accountable for its human rights abuses.
The statement has been signed by organizations and individuals including PEN America, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, the Ahwaz Human Rights Organization, the Baluch Activists Campaign, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, United4Iran, and Iran Prison Atlas.
Iran has experienced a significant surge in executions in 2024, with at least 711 individuals executed by mid-November, marking a substantial increase from previous years. This escalation has drawn widespread condemnation from international organizations.
These actions have intensified calls from the international community for Iran to impose a moratorium on the death penalty and adhere to its human rights obligations.