Massoumeh RAOUF Ali Younessi and Amir Hossein Moradi, two elite students at Sharif University, have become symbols of the resistance in Iran. As their release approached, the regime, fearing their influence, once again took action to keep them behind bars.
[by Massoumeh Raouf, translated by Ceili Boudignon, published on 19/08/2025]
Five years have passed since April 2020, when the Islamic Republic’s security forces arrested two elite students from Sharif University of Technology, Ali Younessi and Amir Hossein Moradi. At the time, Amir Hossein’s disappearance on April 10 and Ali’s return home with signs of torture sparked a strong reaction among students and the public.
My article of June 5, 2020, already detailed how these arrests were accompanied by serious accusations of « links to the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran » (PMOI) and the alleged discovery of « explosives » at their homes.
Ali Younessi, gold medalist at the 2018 International Astronomy Olympiad and national medalist in 2016 and 2017, and Amir Hossein Moradi, silver medalist at the 2017 National Olympiad, were initially charged with « corruption on earth, » « propaganda against the regime, » and « collusion against national security. » In a closed-door trial, they were sentenced to 16 years in prison, a sentence reduced on appeal to 6 years and 8 months, which they have been serving without a single day of leave since 2020.
A new judicial setup to prevent their release
After 64 months in detention, as their release was approaching, the Iranian judicial system once again fabricated charges to prolong their detention. In August 2025, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced the two students to an additional 15 months for « propaganda against the regime. »
In addition, Ali Younessi was sentenced to five more years for « approving and strengthening Israel, » and transferred to Kerman prison (1,000 km from Tehran), banned from accessing the digital space, and cut off from all telephone communication. These measures place him in almost total isolation and make family visits extremely difficult.
His transfer to a « secure house » in Qom—synonymous with prolonged isolation and complete opacity regarding his conditions of detention—constitutes a flagrant violation of international human rights standards and a case of secret detention, increasing the risk of torture and ill-treatment.
The voice of resistance behind bars
Despite torture, physical and psychological pressure, and years in prison, Ali Younessi and Amir Hossein Moradi have never given in. From their cells, they have sent messages to Iranian youth calling for the fight against the dictatorship to continue, making them symbols of resistance for an entire generation.
In November 2024, in the face of the wave of executions of protesters, they wrote:
« We understand what execution means when we hear the name of a fellow prisoner called out… and he never comes back. This is the moment for unity. Let us unite against the death penalty. »
In September 2024, on the anniversary of the 2022 uprising, they declared:
« We are called the generation of uprisings—a generation that participated wholeheartedly in Mahsa (Jina)’s uprising. We were arrested, some died, but we did not give in… Until the end and until total freedom, the red pact of resistance remains standing. »
These messages, smuggled out of prison, resonated powerfully with the protest movements, cementing their status as inspiring heroes for young people.
Pressure on families : the imprisonment of Ali Younessi’s father
The authorities’ revenge was not limited to the two students. In December 2022, Mir-Yousef Younessi, Ali’s elderly father, was arrested in Shahroud and sentenced to five years in prison. The man, who is over 70 years old, was denied a transparent trial and access to necessary medical care, despite health problems, including hearing loss. Many observers see this as a measure aimed at increasing psychological pressure on Ali and his family.
A symbol of the repression of scientific talent
Younessi and Moradi, who embody Iranian scientific excellence, have become symbols of academic repression and the fight against freedom of thought. The harsh sentences, prolonged isolation, and persecution of their families demonstrate that the goal goes beyond individual punishment: it is to send a message of fear to the entire academic community.
Organizations such as Amnesty International and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have repeatedly called for their immediate release. On August 10, 2025, the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran called on the Human Rights Council and the Special Rapporteur to take urgent action for their release.
Conclusion
Since their arrest in 2020, the story of Ali Younessi and Amir-Hossein Moradi has transcended the legal realm. They have become symbols of courage and inspiration for Iranian youth and a living testimony to the price of freedom under an authoritarian regime. Even in captivity, their voices break through the walls and continue to shake a regime that fears free thought.
See also : Iran – Le pouvoir judiciaire reconnaît l’arrestation d’étudiants d’élite
