By:Rezvan Moghaddam

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 3, 2024, Arezou Khavari, a 16-year-old ninth-
grade student at the “Kosar” girls’ high school in Shahr-e Rey, left school and took her
own life. She had been threatened with expulsion by the school principal, Mahnaz
Ghanbari, solely for not wearing a headscarf and for expressing joy during a school trip.
Arezou’s father recounted details of the day to the Rokna News Agency, explaining that
the school called him earlier that day to inform him that his daughter was wearing jeans
instead of the school’s uniform pants. That afternoon, the principal called again to
inform him that Arezou had left the school without permission. Soon after, he received
the heartbreaking news of her death; Arezou had passed away in Haft-e Tir hospital.
Arezou’s classmates described her as cheerful, energetic, studious, social, intelligent,
and a source of joy and excitement for others. One classmate mentioned that Arezou
had been under a lot of stress due to the threat of expulsion, especially for being non-
Iranian, which caused her significant anxiety. During the entire trip, she was physically ill
from stress and vomited multiple times.
The school’s vice-principal, Ms. Rasouli, had reportedly taken photos and videos of
Arezou during the trip and threatened to show them to the principal, which she
eventually did, leading to further threats of expulsion. Back at school, Arezou faced
further humiliation in the principal’s office, where one of her teachers recalled seeing her
leave the office in visible distress, whispering to another teacher, “Please pray that she
doesn’t expel me.”
The Kosar school’s principal and vice-principal, along with the broader education
system, are responsible for Arezou’s death. The education system in Iran has structural
problems and serious shortcomings, especially concerning the management of student
behavior and the responsibilities of school officials regarding students’ mental health
and safety. The principal and vice-principal are obligated to support students rather than
threaten and humiliate them, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment. Their actions,
including threats of expulsion and the use of photos and videos to pressure Arezou,
constitute a violation of both human and ethical rights.
Arezou’s classmates held a memorial for her.
As a non-Iranian student, Arezou had been particularly distressed by the threats of
expulsion and constant humiliation from the school officials. She showed clear signs of
severe stress and psychological harm, which were not only ignored but compounded by
the school authorities. The principal and vice-principal failed to provide a supportive
environment, instead resorting to repressive actions that ultimately led to Arezou’s tragic
end.

Legally and ethically, Principal Mahnaz Ghanbari and Vice-Principal Rasouli are
responsible for creating a space where students feel safe and supported. Their
unnecessary strictness has turned the school into a punitive environment, with Arezou’s
expulsion threats ultimately contributing to the intense stress that led to her suicide.
Their behavior in this case bears moral and even legal responsibility for the outcome.
The principal and vice-principal at Kosar School in Shahr-e Rey must understand that
they bear responsibility for the death of Arezou Khavari.

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Kosar_School

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Stop honor Killings Campaign
Rezvan Moghadam, Spokesperson for the Stop honor Killings Campaign.