Based on field investigations, documents, and testimonies gathered from a number of teachers across Kurdistan, the Hana Human Rights Organization has determined that these so-called “Administrative Violations Boards” effectively function as the security arms of the Ministry of Intelligence, used to exert pressure on teachers and labor activists.
According to Hana’s findings, in many of the reviewed cases, Kurdish teachers have been charged with “acting against national security” or “propaganda against the regime” merely for participating in union gatherings, signing protest statements, or being members of independent teachers’ associations. Through these boards, they have been punished with dismissal, forced retirement, or relocation to remote areas.
This non-judicial process represents a clear violation of fair trial standards and the right to defense, and exposes the security-driven nature of these boards and the lack of neutrality among their members.
Research by Hana shows that most members of these boards are affiliated with security institutions, particularly the Intelligence Department within the Ministry of Education (“Herasat”). Since Herasat operates directly under the Ministry of Intelligence, its presence eliminates any possibility of independence or impartiality. As a result, decisions are largely based on security reports rather than on administrative evidence or legal justification.
The right to defense is also systematically violated. Many teachers are summoned to hearings without being informed of the charges, without legal counsel or union representatives, and without access to their case files—a situation that contradicts both Iran’s own Constitution (Articles 34, 36, and 37) and Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is legally binding on Iran.
In Kurdistan, the rulings issued show that peaceful union and civil activities are being treated as “administrative violations”, contrary to international labor standards. According to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core conventions—Convention No. 87 (Freedom of Association), Convention No. 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining), and Convention No. 151 (Labour Relations in the Public Service)—forming or joining unions, organizing protests, and even striking are all recognized as legitimate and fundamental rights.
However, Iran’s Administrative Violations Law criminalizes such activities, placing it in direct contradiction with international labor principles and Iran’s treaty obligations.
This policy has severely restricted teachers’ union and syndicate freedoms in Kurdistan, stripping them of their right to protest and strike.
Hana’s documentation includes several cases of such security-driven rulings against Kurdish teachers, including:
• Majid Karimi (dismissed and permanently disqualified),
• Faisal Nouri (five-year exile),
• Ghias Ne’mati (permanent dismissal),
• Leila Zarei, Soleiman Abdi, and Nasrin Karimi (forced retirement),
• Shahram Karimi (six-month suspension),
• Loqmanollah Moradi and Salahaddin Haji-Mirzaei (one-year suspension),
• Omid Shahmohammadi (five-year prison sentence).
These cases represent only part of a broader campaign targeting teachers in Kurdistan. The Administrative Justice Court has also aligned itself with this repressive trend, rejecting appeals to suspend or overturn these disciplinary rulings—effectively closing off all legal avenues for defending teachers’ rights.
From both a legal and social perspective, these forced dismissals and retirements not only constitute administrative injustice, but also directly undermine the quality of education in Kurdish regions. At a time when Iran’s education system already suffers from a severe shortage of teachers, removing experienced and qualified educators further violates students’ fundamental right to education.
Hana Human Rights Organization condemns this unlawful and politically motivated process, emphasizing that the ongoing security crackdown on teachers violates three fundamental rights:
- The right to a fair trial and legal defense;
- The right to union organization, peaceful protest, and strike in accordance with ILO standards;
- The right to job security and equal access to quality education.
Hana calls on the Ministry of Education to:
• Immediately annul and review all rulings issued by these boards against Kurdish teachers;
• Remove all security and intelligence-affiliated members from the Administrative Violations Boards.
Finally, Hana urges international bodies, including the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Special Rapporteurs on the right to education and freedom of association, to investigate this ongoing pattern as a systematic violation of Iran’s international obligations.