Hana Human Rights Organization’s report on the finalization of dismissal orders and administrative penalties against Kurdish teachers

Hana Human Rights Organization has learned that the Administrative Violations Board of the Ministry of Education has issued final rulings against sixteen Kurdish teachers. As a result, eight teachers have been dismissed, while others have been subjected to penalties such as suspension, forced retirement, administrative exile, and professional restrictions.

Hana considers these rulings to be legally unfounded and entirely inconsistent with Iran’s international obligations under International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions—particularly Convention No. 98 on the right to organize and Convention No. 111 on the prohibition of employment discrimination.

These well-respected teachers have long records of exemplary service and hold advanced academic qualifications. According to Hana’s findings, the eight teachers who were dismissed are:

1. Majid Karimi – Sanandaj – MA in Political Science – 23 years of service
2. Ghiyas Ne’mati – Sanandaj – MA in Clinical Psychology – 18 years of service
3. Jahangir Bahmani – Sanandaj – MA in Physics – 23 years of service
4. Omid Shahmohammadi – Divandareh – MA in Biology – 26 years of service
5. Parviz Ahsani – Divandareh – MA in Geology – 21 years of service
6. Kaveh Mohammadzadeh – Divandareh – MA student in Sociology – 22 years of service
7. Hiwa Qureshi – Divandareh – MA in Literature – 26 years of service
8. Somayeh Akhtarshomar – Marivan – BA in English – 18 years of service

Two of the dismissed teachers were not only expelled from the Ministry of Education but also permanently barred from all government employment—an extremely harsh and disproportionate punishment that exceeds the legal authority of the Administrative Violations Board.

Additional finalized rulings issued against other teachers include the following:

Suspension from service for six months to one year:

9. Shahram Karimi – Saqqez – 18 years of service
10. Loqman Allah-Moradi – Saqqez – 26 years of service
11. Salah Haji Mirzaei – Sanandaj – 27 years of service

Forced retirement with demotion in grade:

12. Nasrin Karimi – Sanandaj – 26 years of service – demoted two grades
13. Leila Zarei – Sanandaj – 32 years of service – demoted one grade
14. Soleiman Abdi – Saqqez – 30 years of service – demoted two grades

Administrative exile:

15. Faisal Nouri – Sanandaj – MA in Mathematics – exiled to Kermanshah

Administrative restrictions:

16. Mahi al-Din Reyhani – Sanandaj – MA in Philosophy of Education – five-year ban from managerial and assistant positions

According to ILO standards, administrative penalties such as dismissal, suspension, forced retirement, or exile must follow fair-trial guarantees, the right to defense, clear justification, and the principle of proportionality. The available information indicates that these principles were not observed. The absence of independent review and the imposition of penalties without adequate legal reasoning may constitute violations of Iran’s international obligations regarding the protection of trade-union freedoms and the prohibition of occupational discrimination.

Given the serious impact of these measures on job security and the right to fair working conditions, Hana Human Rights Organization condemns these rulings and calls for a full review of all decisions, the reversal of dismissals and other administrative penalties, the immediate reinstatement of the affected teachers, and an impartial investigation carried out in accordance with relevant ILO conventions.