Administrative Court Upholds Dismissal of Kurdish Teacher and Union Activist Somayeh Akhtarshomar

Branch 31 of the Appellate Court of the Administrative Court of Justice has upheld the dismissal of Somayeh Akhtarshomar, a teachers' union activist in Marivan, rejecting her appeal and confirming the original termination order without modification.

The ruling, issued on April 26, 2025 (7 Ordibehesht 1404 in the Iranian calendar), was presided over by Judge Mahmoud Faridounifard (chief justice of the branch) and Judge Mohsen Hedayatmanesh (judicial advisor).

Earlier, on September 17, 2024 (26 Shahrivar 1403), the Ministry of Education's First-Instance Review Board had already confirmed Akhtarshomar’s dismissal from her position as a formally employed teacher within the Ministry.

Her dismissal was initially ordered in June 2024 (Khordad 1403) by the First Disciplinary Board for Civil Servants in Kurdistan Province, citing a series of allegations raised by the Marivan Education Department.

According to a letter dated January 13, 2024 (23 Dey 1402), the Marivan Education Department accused Ms. Akhtarshomar of:

Publishing "offensive content and false information" against the Islamic Republic of Iran
 

Active membership in “illegal teachers' union channels” on social media
 

Posting “provocative” messages in union channels for teachers in Marivan, Sarvabad, and other parts of Iran
 

Designing internal English exam questions that referenced anti-government protesters, allegedly as a form of support
 

Publishing the exam content on social media
 

Public support for Kurdish opposition parties and dissemination of related material online
 

Sharing unveiled images of herself and others, including female students, alongside “divisive slogans”
 

Posting images of her child dressed in attire associated with Kurdish opposition groups, including their slogans and the Kurdish flag
 

Sharing union-related content through various social media channels
 

Based on these allegations, the disciplinary board issued her termination order on March 17, 2024 (27 Esfand 1402).

Background Information:

Name: Somayeh Akhtarshomar
 

Profession: English language teacher
 

Years of service: 17 years in the Iranian Ministry of Education
 

Date of Birth: July 13, 1987 (22 Tir 1366)
 

Father’s Name: Ayaz
 

Marital Status: Married
 

Education: Bachelor’s degree