Iranian students sue Netherlands
Published 06 October, 2008, 04:34
Iranian students in the Netherlands are taking the Dutch state to court. They say they have been excluded from certain courses and places, because of UN sanctions against their native country – a situation the students insist is discriminatory and against in breach of their human rights.
Iranian students are being banned from pursuing certain specialised courses to ensure sensitive information doesn’t find its way back to Iran.
Behnam Taebi is leading the campaign against the measures. He’s doing a PhD in science and engineering, and wants to make sure others also have the opportunity.
“The Dutch government is unique in interpreting it this way. Students are not mentioned in the resolution and it says nothing about Iranian Dutch people, and this is what we’re opposing,” he said.
Taebi rallied together with a group of Iranian students from across the country who are determined to fight for their rights: students like Kawa Bitaraf, who has lived in the Netherlands since he was four and has never had an Iranian passport.
“I am a Dutch citizen but not I’m being treated like one. I’m being treated like a second degree citizen. and it’s not fair. We don’t need this law. Banning a whole nationality from studying is discrimination,” said Bitaraf.
Students believe the restrictions on what and where they can study violates the Dutch constitution and national legislation. However, according to some experts the case isn’t quite as straight forward.
Dick Leurdijk, a specialist from Clingendael Institute for International Relations, rejects the students’ claims of discrimination and says the Dutch government’s decision is the result of careful deliberation:
“We consider international law to have a primacy over national law,” says Leurdijk.
According to Leurdijk the Netherlands isn’t alone in its interpretation of the resolution. He claims around 90 other countries have also responded to the UN call.
The actual implementation of the law is left up to each member state and this is where some legal experts believe the Netherlands has been too strict.
“We support the students and we think the principle of equality as is laid down in the Dutch constitution can never be restricted on the sole base on someone’s nationality. That is discrimination,” said Joyce Schiferli, a legal expert.
In this haze of claim and counter claim all parties agree on one thing: taking the matter to court should at least provide some clarity in this complex and significant case.
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