-"The pride of the university, and an Iranian hero”, Iranian students.

Majid Tavakoli is an Iranian student, who is serving a nine-year-long imprisonment because of his criticism of the Iranian regime and his fight for democracy and human rights through speeches and publications. On the 7th of December 2009, the Student Day in Iran, he held a speech where he criticized the government and spoke up for a free Iran.

After his arrest, a photograph of Tavakoli wearing a hijab was published in national press. It was posted by the government to humiliate him, according to some. To support Tavakoli many people posted photos of themselves online wearing a hijab, with the title “We are all Majid”.

Tavakoli continues his battle despite the fact that he has been the victim of torture in prison, and he describes the government as fascistic and despotic. As leader of the Islamic Student Association he has become a symbol of student's resistance against the regime in Iran, even though he is aware of the risk.

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Press release (English)