In April 2023 the Iranian government was in the midst of a brutal crackdown. Weeks earlier, thousands had been on the streets, protesting against the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old detained for an alleged violation of the country’s strict dress codes for women.
That month, with hundreds of Iranians who had taken part in the demonstrations dead or in jail, and the regime ramping up its repressive tactics, the Australian foreign minister wrote to more than 30 university vice-chancellors and presidents.
