Iran hanged two dissidents last week and sentenced nine others to death as the regime tries to crush the protest movement that sprang to life after last June’s re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Protesters have charged the vote was rigged. A planned massive demonstration on the anniversary of the Islamic Republic has also been met by government threats of arrests for being traitors.
The Iranian regime also is using massive layoffs of professionals, including academics, to try to crush the protest movement. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for universities to be "purified" of vocal opponents to the government. Last week, at least a dozen professors and three women’s rights activists were fired from their jobs.