Iranian student protests spread nationwide

NICOSIA -- Thousands of students demonstrated for the fourth straight day in Teheran Sunday as related protests in broke out in other Iranian cities. High level resignations and the government's release of those detained during weekend protests failed to clear the streets.

So far, as many as many as six students were reported killed and at least 20 people were injured in the unrest. About 125 students were arrested during police raids.

Meanwhile, the official Islamic Republic News Agency [IRNA] reported that student protests had spread across the country. Students were protesting at Gilan University in northern Iran and at Tabriz University in the northwest.

The crackdown by authorities prompted the resignation of Iran's Minister of Higher Education Mostafa Moin. President Mohammed Khatami has rejected the resignation.

IRNA reported that Moin wrote that the security forces entered the campus "beating up innocent students in violation of the respect of the university and the honor of the students, which is not acceptable under any basis and expediency."

The Supreme National Security Council, headed by Khatami, dismissed a high-ranking police official who led an unauthorized police raid into a student dormitory at Teheran University on Friday and ordered the release of the detained students. The decision was supported by Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini.

The raid on the dormitory took place after 200 students demonstrated against an anti-press law and the banning of the reformist Salaam daily. Some of the Iranian students protesting on Sunday called for the recognition of Israel, demonstrators reported.

In a separate development, an Iranian senior police official was cleared by a Teheran military court of torture. The court acquitted Gholamreza Naqdi, head of intelligence of the national police, on charges of torturing senior municipality officials detained in a graft case. But it said he was guilty of "disobedience of military rules" and "insulting the accused," IRNA said.