Update 2: as of the afternoon of December 26, 2017, all arrestees have been released. More updates to be issued soon.
Iran: Breaking news:
Robabeh Rezaee, Hassan Saeidi, Mohammad Aslaghi & Gholamreza Gomar among the arrestees.
A protest rally was held at 10 am today, Tuesday, December 26th, 2017, outside the Ministry of Labour in Tehran, to address the alarming situation and the deteriorating health conditions of Reza Shahabi, a jailed labour activist and an executive board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company.
This gathering was brutally attacked from the beginning by security forces and reportedly about 40 people, many of whom women, have been arrested. Robabeh Rezaee, Reza Shahabi’s wife, as well as some well-known members of the bus workers’ syndicate, including Hassan Saeidi, Mohammad Aslaghi and Gholamreza Gomar, were among the arrestees. There are reports of injuries as well. Tehran bus workers’ syndicate reported that some of the arrestees including Robabeh Rezaee have been transferred to the Evin prison. As the above picture illustrates, Hassan Saeidi, was badly beaten by a number of security agents as a result of which he was taken to the emergency.
There have been growing protests in Iran and internationally for Reza Shahabi’s freedom. Workers’ organizations and unions around the world have been calling for his immediate and unconditional release. Shahabi has been a target of an ongoing persecution and prosecution since 2010. He has had 2 minor strokes within the past two weeks. He has been denied hospitalization or release despite ending his 6-year prison term. He was re-incarcerated in Rajaee Shahr Prison in City of Karaj, notorious especially for its substandard health and safety conditions, on August 9, 2017 and since then has been denied freedom unless he agrees to stop his union activities.
IASWI strongly condemns the brutal attack on demonstrators who had done nothing but raising their concerns for Shahabi’s deteriorating health. We strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest of Robabeh Rezaee, Hassan Saeidi, Mohammad Aslaghi, Gholamreza Gomar and others and call for their immediate and unconditional release. The continued imprisonment and abuse of Reza Shahabi is a gross violation of all internationally recognised human and labour rights. IASWI urges all workers’ and human rights’ organizations internationally to take all necessary measures to ensure that Reza Shahabi and other jailed labour activists and political prisoners in Iran are freed immediately and unconditionally.
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)
December 26, 2017
[email protected];
www.workers-iran.org;
https://twitter.com/IASWIinfo
https://www.facebook.com/IASWI
More updates to follow:
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