Student editor detained in Tehran

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A second editor of a student publication in Iran has been detained following days of unrest in one of Tehran's most prestigious universities.

Scuffles broke out last week between reformist and right-wing students at Amirkabir University, after several works were accused of insulting Islam.

However, the editors say the offending articles were forged.

Right-wing students have called for a purge of liberal and Western influence from higher education establishments.

Reports say groups of reformist students were guarding the editors of the student publications in their dormitories to protect them from arrest.

One had already been arrested but three remained free. When the students tried to move the three editors to Amirkabir University they were stopped by unknown people and the editor of a publication called Atiye was taken away.

'Framed'

Right-wing students who supported the government have accused the editors of deliberately insulting Islamic figures.

They have been carrying posters calling for a second cultural revolution to cleanse the universities of Western influence.

But the reformist student editors say they have been framed with bogus articles in order to give right-wingers a pretext to confront them in advance of student union elections.

Reports say Amirkabir campus, which has been the scene of sit-ins by reformist students in the last week, has now been closed down by protesting students.

And the right-wing students who were camped outside the gate have left because a committee is now negotiating with the ministry of education.

There has also been trouble in Tehran University after a fine art student drew angels without any hair, and then her lecturer made fun of her and asked if she too was bald under her headscarf.

Female students belonging to a right-wing group are planning a protest inside the university mosque on Monday.