we strongly condemn the unjust persecution and sentences against these labour activists. we also denounce ongoing persecution and arrests of labour activists in Iran including the repression of May Day organizing efforts. we demand the immediate and unconditional freedom of all labour activists in Iran.
April 30, 2015 – In recent days and weeks many workers and labour activists have been detained or summoned by security and intelligence forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among these workers and labour activists are: Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President, and Davoud Razavi, board member, of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, who were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2015 and transferred to the Evin prison. Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations, and Osman Ismaili, labour activist and spokesperson of the Workers’ Defense Committee of Mahabad, respectively were arrested in the cities of Saqez and Mahabad on April 28, 2015. Khaled Hosseini, a labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, have been summoned several times and interrogated by the intelligence agents in the City of Sanandaj.
On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Pedram Nasrollahi, another well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee in the city of Sanandaj, was arrested by plain clothes agents who raided the home of a friend where Pedram and his wife were visiting. According to the Coordinating Committee, the agents, without a warrant or any explanations, punched and kicked Pedram in front of his wife and the owner of the house and took him to the custody. Also, Sheys Amani, a board member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj on April 30th and was interrogated for more than 5 hours. Intelligent agents in this interrogation tried to coerce Mr. Amani and his organization to stop their May Day organizing efforts.
During the recent days and weeks Reza Amjadi, Kourosh Bakhshandeh, Hamed Mahmoudnejad and Nezaam Sedeghi, all labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, and Fouad and Aram Zandi, both labour activists in Sanadaj, along with Manizheh Sadeghi, children’s and women’s rights activist, were arrested and incarcerated by security and intelligence forces. In addition, Ribwar Abdullahi, labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, was imprisoned on April 11, 2015 after being sentenced to one year in prison; he is currently serving his prison sentence in Sanandaj.
Yousef Aab-kharabat and Vahed Seyede, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee in Mahabad, each have been given two years imprisonment and are currently serving their sentence. Hassan Rasoulnejad, another labor activist and member of the Coordinating Committee have been given one year jail time.
Hadi Tanoomand and Jamal Minashiri , both labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each have been given 3.5 years prison terms and are awaiting the verdict by the appeal court. Ghasem and Ebrahim Mostafapour and Mohammad Karimi, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each was sentenced to 2 years in prison and they are currently awaiting for the Court of Appeal. Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil Mohammadi, labour activists and members of the board of the Free Trade Union, have respectively been sentenced to 6 and 3.5 years in prison. And Farzad Moradinia, another member of the Coordinating Committee, is awaiting a court verdict.
In recent weeks, the first sentences after the trials against 30 workers following their participation in last year’s protests in Chadormalu Mine have been issued. Five of these workers, who were charged with “disrupting the order and preventing the rights of others”, have been sentenced to a year imprisonment and flogging.
It is also crucial to highlight that a number of other labour activists continue to be incarcerated and persecuted incessantly. Well-known labour activists in Iran, Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi, have been imprisoned since June 2011 and Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, another well-known labour activist, have been imprisoned since June 2010. Reza Shahabi, also imprisoned since June 2010, is currently on medical leave due to surgeries and deteriorating health conditions as the result of the mistreatments he had endured while in prison. Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Tehran Teachers’ Trade Associations, is incarcerated since September 2009.
Many other, lesser known, labour activists across the country are being persecuted and arrested and facing legal battles and have been faced with various sham charges.
More updates will follow on the situation of the arrestees after May Day.
International Alliance in support of workers in Iran (IASWI)
[email protected]/ https://www.workers-iran.org
For a report on last year`s (Iran`s calendar Year of 1393) labour actions in Iran, refer to the link below. Its highlights will soon be translated to English.
http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/HTML_2015/28_Farvardin_94_etehad.html
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I (we) have been informed that:
In recent days and weeks many workers and labour activists have been detained or summoned by security and intelligence forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among these workers and labour activists are: Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President, and Davoud Razavi, board member, of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, who were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2015 and transferred to the Evin prison. Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations, and Osman Ismaili, labour activist and spokesperson of the Workers’ Defense Committee of Mahabad, respectively were arrested in the cities of Saqez and Mahabad on April 28, 2015. Khaled Hosseini, a labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, have been summoned several times and interrogated by the intelligence agents in the City of Sanandaj.
On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Pedram Nasrollahi, another well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee in the city of Sanandaj, was arrested by plain clothes agents who raided the home of a friend where Pedram and his wife were visiting. According to the Coordinating Committee, the agents, without a warrant or any explanations, punched and kicked Pedram in front of his wife and the owner of the house and took him to the custody. Also, Sheys Amani, a board member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj on April 30th and was interrogated for more than 5 hours. Intelligent agents in this interrogation tried to coerce Mr. Amani and his organization to stop their May Day organizing efforts
During the recent days and weeks Reza Amjadi, Kourosh Bakhshandeh, Hamed Mahmoudnejad and Nezaam Sedeghi, all labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, and Fouad and Aram Zandi, both labour activists in Sanadaj, along with Manizheh Sadeghi, children’s and women’s rights activist, were arrested and incarcerated by security and intelligence forces. In addition, Ribwar Abdullahi, labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, was imprisoned on April 11, 2015 after being sentenced to one year in prison; he is currently serving his prison sentence in Sanandaj.
Yousef Aab-kharabat and Vahed Seyede, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee in Mahabad, each have been given two years imprisonment and are currently serving their sentence. Hassan Rasoulnejad, another labor activist and member of the Coordinating Committee have been given one year jail time.
Hadi Tanoomand and Jamal Minashiri , both labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each have been given 3.5 years prison terms and are awaiting the verdict by the appeal court. Ghasem and Ebrahim Mostafapour and Mohammad Karimi, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each was sentenced to 2 years in prison and they are currently awaiting for the Court of Appeal. Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil Mohammadi, labour activists and members of the board of the Free Trade Union, have respectively been sentenced to 6 and 3.5 years in prison. And Farzad Moradinia, another member of the Coordinating Committee, is awaiting a court verdict.
In recent weeks, the first sentences after the trials against 30 workers following their participation in last year’s protests in Chadormalu Mine have been issued. Five of these workers, who were charged with “disrupting the order and preventing the rights of others”, have been sentenced to a year imprisonment and flogging.
It is also crucial to highlight that a number of other labour activists continue to be incarcerated and persecuted incessantly. Well-known labour activists in Iran, Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi, have been imprisoned since June 2011 and Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, another well-known labour activist, have been imprisoned since June 2010. Reza Shahabi, also imprisoned since June 2010, is currently on medical leave due to surgeries and deteriorating health conditions as the result of the mistreatments he had endured while in prison. Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Tehran Teachers’ Trade Associations, is incarcerated since September 2009.
I (we) strongly condemn the unjust persecution and sentences against these labour activists. I (we) also denounce ongoing persecution and arrests of labour activists in Iran including the repression of May Day organizing efforts. I (we) demand the immediate and unconditional freedom of all labour activists in Iran.
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*Please use (modify) the above statement as your protest letter and send it to the email addresses written above.