Emergency letter to labor and humanitarian institutions around the world
1- Shapur Ehsani Rad, a dismissed worker and a former representative of the Saveh Rolling and profiles factory, a member of the executive board of the Free Union of Workers of Iran , was detained on August 11, 2017 by Branch 101 of the Court of Saveh and was sentenced to brutal and humiliating sentence of 30 lashes, and nine million Toman (2740 dollars) in cash. He has already been sentenced to jail in may 2015 on charges of “provoking the workers of Saveh Pipeline factory and disrupting public order”.
2- Reza Shahabi, a member of the executive board of the Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs United Bus Company, who was injured from the neck and waist due to beatings of security agents during his arrest and interrogation in June 2010, has been arrested again and put to jail on the excuse that he has not finished his previous prison term because he was on medical leave for 3 months for his illnesses and injuries. Now with order of Tehran’s prosecutor Reza Shahabi has been taken to jail on August 17, 2017..
4- Esmail Abdi a well-known teachers; activist, who was released after a 38-day hunger strike, was arrested again on July 5, 2017, and has been transferred to Evin Prison. He is convicted to 6 years prison.
5- Mohsen Omrani, a teacher’s activist from Bushehr city, was taken to prison after three days leave on the July 31st. He has been sentenced to one year jail.
3- On August 1, Hamid Sharghi a member of the Metalworkers Syndicate in Karaj has been arrested and jailed. .
6- Jafar Azimzadeh, president of the executive board of the Free Union of workers of Iran, who was released on bail after worldwide protests, is under constant pressure to return to jail. He has been sentenced to 6 years jail.
7- Mahmoud Beheshti a member of the governing board of the Teachers’ Trade Association is also under arrest to pass his five years jail sentence.
8- Recently, two Teacher activists, Taher Ghaderzadeh and Reza Moslem have been sentenced to 3 months and three years jail respectively.
9- On August 5, 2017, 53 workers from the Haft Tapeh cane sugar industry were summoned to court because of taking part in the recent strikes of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane workers; protests to obtain their unpaid salaries. They were released on bail after protests by the factory workers.
Currently, many activists and labor leaders, teachers and social activists are imprisoned or under threat of arrest for their struggles.
Free Them Now calls on all labour unions and organisations to condemn violation of basic workers rights in Iran and condemn the whipping punishment for Shapoor Ehsani Rad and urge the government to immediately release all workers activists and political prisoners in Iran.
We appreciate your continued support for the workers’ struggles in Iran. We look forward for your response as soon as possible. You can show your support and solidarity with the Iranian workers by writing a support letter, sending a support video message to Free Them Now, or start a solidarity campaign etc.
Campaign to Free Jailed Workers in Iran (Free Them Now)
August 12,2016
Shahla Daneshfar, Shahla.daneshfar2@gmail.com
Contact person in Canada: Masoud Arjang masoudazr@yahoo.ca
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Please send your protest letters to Hassan Rouhani the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran by e-mail or post:
E-mail: media@rouhani.ir
Post:address:
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Palestine Avenue, Pasteur St., Pasteur Sq.
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran