Iran Reports

Free Afshin Nadimi and Mehrdad Sabouri

Afshin Nadimi and Mehrdad Sabouri are construction workers and had gone to work in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a common occurrence especially due to limited access to jobs in Iranian Kurdistan. While returning to Iran, they were abducted by the intelligence forces, and later were detained in the City of Kamyaran’s intelligence office. The two labour activists were detained for 51 days before their trial.

 

Afshin Nadimi and Mehrdad Sabouri, both labour activists and members of the “Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations”, were sentenced to prison by Branch one of the Islamic Revolution Court in Sanandaj on December 25, 2013. This trial was conducted without the presence of lawyers and with no respect to any legal procedures. Afshin Nadimi was sentenced to five years imprisonment for membership in the Coordinating Committee and one year for propaganda against the system for a total of six years. The court also condemned Mehrdad Sabouri for four months for membership in the Coordinating Committee and another four months for propaganda against the system, for eight months in total. Both labour activists were transferred to Sanandaj’s prison for serving their prison sentences.

Afshin Nadimi and Mehrdad Sabouri are construction workers and had gone to work in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a common occurrence especially due to limited access to jobs in Iranian Kurdistan. While returning to Iran, they were abducted by the intelligence forces, and later were detained in the City of Kamyaran’s intelligence office. The two labour activists were detained for 51 days before their trial.

As previously emphasized, The Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations is a well-known independent labour organization in Iran, formed in 2005 with the open support and signature of thousands of workers; it is not a clandestine group, many of its members are nationally and internationally well-known. As we have repeatedly said, the continued persecution of labour activists by the Islamic Republic of Iran can only be seen as a part of their overall strategy of repression of workers’ struggles in Iran against ever-increasing poverty, mass unemployment, discrimination, repression and the government’s austerity and neo-liberal policies. Nothing has changed for workers under any administration, from Rafsanjani to Khatmai and from Ahmadinejad to Rouhani. We are calling on all labour and progressive organizations and activists around the world to take any necessarily steps they can in solidarity with fellow workers in Iran. Please contact IASWI if you require more information.

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