Reza Shahabi must not return to prison! Urgent actions needed

In a joint statement on February 10, 2017, the French trade union federations (CFDT, CGT, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA) expressed their serious concerns about the fate of Reza Shahabi who is summoned to return to the prison. 

Reza Shahabi is currently on bail. He is at the risk of arrest and imprisonment at any time to serve the remainder of his 6 year sentence (he has three months left according to the claims made by the authorities). A new imprisonment would endanger his health in view of the serious illnesses he is suffering from. In addition, the prison authorities usually strategies to ensure that high profile labour activists are not able to simply get absolute discharge. 

The French trade union federations also stated their opposition to the unlawful convictions against Reza Shahabi which is a violation of international labour Conventions. They reminded the leaders of the Islamic republic of Iran (IRI) of their obligations towards ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on the right to organize and freedom of association. They emphasized that a return to detention of Reza Shahabi, unjustly convicted for his trade union activity, would be only a further violation of international conventions and a violation of human rights. 

Reza Shahabi’s surety has also been threatened that she would lose her home if Reza Shahabi is not returned to prison. The French trade union federations also called on the Iranian government to ensure that the property of the guarantor of the surety will not be seized. 

Mr. Reza Shahabi a board member of Vahed syndicate was arrested in June 2010 while he was on the job, driving a bus; he was violently assaulted in front of bus riders and incarcerated in Evin prison’s ward 209. After spending nineteen months in solitary confinement he was given six years of prison sentence, banned from any union activities for five years and a financial fine of seven million Tomans by branch 15 of the revolutionary court. Due to extensive physical stress and tortures during interrogations, Mr. Shahabi suffered from back and neck dislocation and had to go under surgery twice. After enduring prison for five years he has been under medical leave of absence based on coroner’s recommendation. It should be noted that during his long incarceration Mr. Shahabi had to resort to hunger strike, four separate times, in protesting lack of medical attention to his deteriorating health conditions and the growing numbness of the left side of his body. His last hunger strike, to protest against his transfer to Rajaee Shahr prison, lasted fifty-two days. Mr. Shahabi was prosecuted again in January of 2015 based on charges of “propagating against the system,” and sentenced to a year in prison, and this verdict was upheld in an appeals court. At the moment he is experiencing very hard circumstances including numerous illnesses; his multiple attempts to return to work through following up with the Labour Ministry has had no results. This is while IRI’s Ministry of Labour has reported to ILO that Mr. Shahabi has been released from prison and is back to work, which is totally untrue and baseless.

We, together with the Iranian labour movement, salute the efforts by the French trade federations (CFDT, CGT, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA) for their ongoing and unconditional support towards bus workers in Tehran and other independent labour organizations in Iran. We urge labour and human rights organizations internationally to send protest letters to the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and demand that “Reza Shahabi must not return to prison”. We also call on the International Labour Organization and its Workers’ Group that it is time to take the plight of workers’ rights in Iran a lot more seriously, especially given that the authorities of IRI has falsely claimed to the ILO that Reza Shahabi is free and that he has returned to work which is an absolute lie. Reza Shahabi and Tehran bus workers’ union need urgent and decisive actions. There are mounting evidence that the IRI authorities are pursuing a new wave of attacks against workers and particularly against the only few unionized workers like the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company and the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association. Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company is the first independent labour organization in Iran that was formed after twenty-seven years of repression and as such is considered a significant historical achievement in Iran’s labour movement.

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

February 12, 2017

Mr. Reza Shahabi, a board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was arrested in June 2010 while he was on the job, driving a bus; he was violently assaulted in front of bus riders and incarcerated in Evin prison’s ward 209. After spending nineteen months in solitary confinement he was given six years of jail sentence, banned from any union activities for five years and a financial fine of seven million Tomans by branch 15 of the revolutionary court. Due to extensive physical stress and tortures during interrogations, Mr. Shahabi suffered from back and neck dislocation and had to go under surgery twice. After enduring prison for five years he has been under medical leave of absence based on coroner’s recommendation. A return to detention of Reza Shahabi, unjustly convicted for his trade union activity, would be only a further violation of international conventions and a violation of human rights.  Reza Shahabi must not return to prison! We are calling for an end to persecution and jail sentences against Reza Shahabi and for his immediate and unconditional freedom. We are also calling on the Iranian government authorities to put an end to persecution of labour activists in Iran and withdrawal of all charges against other members of Tehran bus workers’ union including Ebrahim Madadi and Davood Razavi. 

PLEASE SEND protest letters to:

·       President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and
@Rouhani_ir (Persian)