The security and immigration police officials of Norway too in a similar claim prevented the education and living in Norway of at least ten MS and PhD students for the possibility of links with the Iranian nuclear programme and the transfer of sensitive technology to the country.
The students who from the outset have rejected the Norwegian government’s accusations, by setting up a protest campaign have handed a 12,000 signature petition to the office of the Prime Minister and Parliament of Norway. Many scientific and academic figures such as Noam Chomsky have also signed the petition.
NTNU university student, Hamideh Kafash is one of the students that believes her technology course is not sensitive and says that if they (the students) were after sensitive technology they would not have gone to Norway, and would have gone to a country whose technological levels were much higher.
She thought the security reason of her expulsion strange and said that even the Norwegian police believed they were innocent. The Norwegian police declared: “We are not saying these students are guilty. They are probably innocent.” And with a ridiculous claim they said: “you are victims of your country’s policies, which we do not have a positive view of.”
The director of the Students Organization of the Iranian Science Ministry, Dr. Sedighi in reaction to this incident, confirming that some Iranian students in Norway have had some problems, said: “This incident is nothing new, because over the recent years restrictions have been imposed by some western countries on the continuation of education of some of our students.”
He added: “In any event, with the conclusions that they have, which are mostly based on negative and wrong propaganda, these countries restrict the continuation of education of our students in some courses.”
Stating that these students have gone abroad with their own funds (not scholarships) he said, “Currently the students are getting lawyers and are legally pursuing the matter, which means they are seriously pursing filing complaints.”
Ms. Kafash also went to Norway in the third week of June to pursue her complaint in the Norwegian courts, and she says on this: “For now we are going to the local court, and if we do not get a result we will not stop there and we will go to the European High Court where even Norway has no influence. We shall not back down.”