PUBLIC

AI Index: MDE 13/055/2007

UA 115/07

Incommunicado detention / Fear of torture or ill-treatment / Prisoners
of conscience

16 May 2007

IRAN

Trade unionists:

Heis Amani (m)

Sedigh Karimi (m)

Amnesty International fears that trade unionists Heis Amani and Sedigh
Karimi may be held incommunicado at an unknown location and are possibly
at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Amnesty International believes that
the two men are prisoners of conscience, held solely for the peaceful
expression of their conscientiously held beliefs, and calls for their
immediate release.

Heis Amani is the head of the Union of Unemployed and Dismissed Workers
(Ettehadiye Kargaran-e Bikar va Ekhraji), while Sedigh Karimi is a
member of the union's governing body. The two men were among some 400
people who took part in a demonstration on 1 May in Sanandaj, the
capital of Iran*s Kordestan province, marking International Workers'
Day. An unknown number of people were detained following the
demonstration in Sanandaj. At least 12 people were held until 10 May and
another was scheduled to be released on bail on 12 May. Heis Amani and
Sedigh Karimi are now the only protesters still held by the authorities.
Amnesty International has no news of their whereabouts, nor of any
charges brought against them.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In recent months, members of Iran*s organised labour movement have
held numerous demonstrations aimed at drawing attention to their working
and living conditions. On 1 May, demonstrations were broken up by
security forces, including in Sanandaj and Tehran, where up to 600
workers reportedly chanted slogans against the government and
parliament.

In March and April, hundreds of teachers, mostly members of local
Teachers* Associations or the National Council of Teachers*
Associations, were detained in connection with demonstrations which
began in March 2007 by teachers demanding higher pay and better working
conditions. All those arrested in connection with the demonstrations
were later released. Late in April, many more teachers were arrested,
including, on 7 April, the entire board of the Hamedan Teachers*
Association, who were held in connection with events organized by the
Association's leadership. They have since been freed.

The harassment and arrest of labour leaders has been accompanied by
arrests of students and women*s rights activists as part of an
apparent crackdown on the internationally recognized rights to free
expression and free association by the Iranian authorities. For more
information, please see: Iran: Arrests of peaceful demonstrators and
activists continue, at:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130452007?open&of=ENG-IRN
and Iran: Beating and arrest of workers is no way to commemorate May
Day, at
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130492007?open&of=ENG-IRN


RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as
possible

- calling on the authorities immediately to reveal the whereabouts of
trade unionists Heis Amani and Sedigh Karimi, who have reportedly been
detained incommunicado in Sanandaj since 1 May;

- urging the authorities to release Heis Amani and Sedigh Karimi
immediately and unconditionally, if they are held solely for their
peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression or association
in support of workers* rights;

- calling on the authorities to ensure that while Heis Amani and Sedigh
Karimi are in custody they have unconditional access to their families
and lawyers of their choice;

- asking for a detailed account of the reasons for their arrest,
including any charges brought against them;

- calling on the authorities to ensure that Heis Amani and Sedigh
Karimi are not tortured or ill-treated, and to allow them immediate
access to any medical treatment they may require.

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic:

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed *Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street

Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]
Fax:   011 98 251 7774 2228

(Mark it FAO Office of His Excellency Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary:

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building

Panzdah-Khordad Square

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:   011 98 21 3390 4986 (may be difficult to reach)
Email: [email protected]

(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Intelligence:

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence

Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Mr Seyed Mahdi Mohebi

Chargé d*Affaires, Embassy for the Islamic Republic of Iran

245 Metcalfe Street

Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K2

Fax: (613) 232-5712

Email: [email protected]

Governor of Kurdistan:

Esmail Najjar

By email only: If you are sending emails in Persian or Kurdish, please
use the feedback form on the Persian part of the website:
http://www.ostan-kd.ir/Default.aspx?tabId=150&cv=4@0_1. For all other
languages, use the feedback form on the English part of the website:
http://en.ostan-kd.ir/Default.aspx?TabID=59

Salutation: Dear Governor

Thank you for your efforts to protect these two trade unionists.

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