Solidarity of Austrian Science Community with Civil Society in Iran

ÖAW, FWF and Uniko as well as the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) look with great concern at the events that are taking place in Iran. We strongly condemn the violence against students and staff at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran and other Iranian universities as well as the violence against demonstrators in Iran in general.

October 11, 2022

For more than two weeks, members of Iranian civil society, including many students and academics, have been expressing their condolences and solidarity with student Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the religious police on September 16. According to Iran Human Rights (IHR), more than 150 people have lost their lives in violent clashes with authorities since then.

In many cases, the country’s universities have been the site of civil society protests – at some universities, research and teaching have now been suspended. The values of science and education are universal and they can only flourish where a free exchange of knowledge and opinions can take place. Science, research, and education in Austria commit themselves every day to stand up for freedom, diversity, and inclusion. These days, our solidarity goes especially to our colleagues in Iran and those with Iranian roots.