Two engineering students at Amirkabir University in Tehran were expelled in absentia after being accused of burning a flag associated with Iran's Islamic regime. The expulsions, reportedly prompted by complaints from Basij members, come amid a wider wave of disciplinary measures across Iranian universities. Media outlets have described some charges as "fabricated," and other institutions have issued expulsions or suspensions in recent weeks.
Two Students Expelled From Tehran's Amirkabir University After Alleged Flag Burning
An Iranian national flag is fixed to the arm of a statue at the monument dedicated to the Palestinian struggle in Palestine Square in central Tehran on July 8, 2025. (photo credit: AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)
Amirkabir University Expels Two Engineering Students — Two engineering students at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran were expelled in absentia after being accused of burning a flag associated with Iran's Islamic regime, according to the university's student newspaper.
The disciplinary committee named the students as Amir-Mohammad Karimi and Mahyar Eghtesadi, both enrolled in engineering programs at Tehran Polytechnic. University sources reported the expulsions followed allegations that the pair set fire to the regime flag; some accounts additionally claim they displayed the pre-1979 Lion and Sun flag.
Reports say the complaints were filed by members of the Basij volunteer force — affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — who study at the institution. A Persian diaspora outlet, Kayhan London, described the official charge of "creating chaos and disrupting the educational process" as "fabricated," framing the expulsions as part of a broader campaign of disciplinary actions against students nationwide.
IRANIAN STUDENTS protest the regime's educational policies. (credit: screenshot via X/ section 27a copyright act)
Similar measures have been reported at other universities: eight students received expulsion notices at Sharif University of Technology, 16 at the University of Science and Technology of Iran, and four at Soureh University. Numerous other students have been given temporary but substantial suspensions, according to media reports.
In a related case, Reza Dalman, a master’s student in computer engineering at Sharif University, was reportedly sentenced to expulsion and banned from university study for four years after hanging a stuffed mouse from a tree — an act authorities said insulted then–Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as reported by Iran International.
Context: These expulsions come amid an intensified crackdown on dissent inside Iranian universities, where student activism has been met with disciplinary and legal measures. Independent verification of some individual allegations is limited, and reporting relies on university statements and diaspora or independent Persian-language outlets.
What This Means: The cases highlight growing tensions between student activists and security-aligned groups on campuses. Observers say such disciplinary actions may deter campus dissent and raise concerns about academic freedom and due process within Iran's higher-education institutions.
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