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Hashem Khastar

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Hashem Khastar
Born (1953-06-02) June 2, 1953 (age 71)
Known forHead of the Mashhad Teachers Union

Hashem Khastar (Persian: هاشم خواستار; born June 2, 1953) is a former teacher at the Agriculture Technical High School in Mashhad in northeastern Iran, and an agricultural engineer and the Head of the Mashhad Teachers Union.[1]

Background

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He has been detained several times for defending teachers' rights and participating in rally protests of teachers and was imprisoned from 2009 to 2011 in Mashhad's notorious Vakilabad Prison.[2]

In a letter he said that "the root of the corruption and all the problems, was Ali Khamenei" the Supreme Leader of Iran, and that he had to be held accountable.[2]

Khastar had previously been detained in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Despite being threatened by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on several occasion he had refused to cease his activities.[3]

On October 23, 2018, he disappeared in the city of Mashhad, and was being detained by the Islamic Republic's Intelligence Ministry at a psychiatric hospital, his wife disclosed in an interview.[4][3] Hashem Khastar was released a few hours after being taken into custody on Monday, November 5, 2018.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Lipin, Michael; Alavi, Shahed (24 October 2018). "Another Activist Detained in Iran's Crackdown on Teachers Unions". Voice of America News on Iran.
  2. ^ a b "Missing Teacher And Regime Critic Held At Psychiatric Facility". Radio Farda. 26 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Iran activist abducted by intelligence agents in Mashhad". Iran News Wire. 24 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Iran Authorities Won't Explain Why Teachers' Rights Activist is Being Held Incommunicado in Mental Hospital". Center for Human Rights in Iran. 26 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Hashem Khastar's Supporters Released from Custody". Hrana News Agency. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2019-05-18.