The resoulution of meeting of VDLC with “Free Them Now”

Campaingn to free jailed workers in Iran

On 23th of March a meeting was held between Stephen von Sychowski, and a delegation from the Campaign to free jailed workers in Iran (FreeThemNow) in VDLC headquarters. Through the negotiations the meeting stressed on these points as follows:

1- We the participants in this meeting condemn the heinous and barbaric sentences of whipping the labour activists, teachers and protesters by the Islamic regime of Iran. This brutal and anti human Islamic punishment should be condemned by all workers organisations and all civilised people around the world. Recently, Jafar Azimzadeh, chairman of the Free Trade Union of Iran, has been sentenced to 30 lashes while he is serving his 6 years sentence term in prison for defending the rights of workers. Also Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer who has defended political prisoners, has been sentenced to 137 lashes and 7 years imprisonment. Earlier Mohammad Habibi a jailed teacher was sentenced to ten and half years in prison and 74 lashes. All these brutal sentences must be abolished. We strongly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for issuing such brutal sentences.

2. We support the indictment and protest of Ismail Bakhshi the well known and popular leader of the Haft-Tapeh suagar cane workers in Haft Tapeh factory in Shush city in Iran, against the tortures he was subjectd to in the Islamic government;s prisons. Ismail Bakhsh, who was arrested for defending workers’ rights during the struggles of the Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers, was arrested two times for protesting torture inside the prison. He and Sepideh Gholiyan, a journalist who was arrested during the protests of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers and supported the Ismail; claim is also in jail. They are under pressure to deny their statements about torture in prison. Ismail Bakhshi and Sepideh Ghaliyan have called to be tried in an open and public court. Their condition is urgent. We want them and all the jailed workers and teachers and other political prisoners to be released, and we condemn the use of torture against prisoners in Iran.
3. The Islamic Republic of Iran arrests and imprisons workers for their struggles and for defending their rights and their lives and livelihoods under charges such as “disturbing national security and national security”. We support the campaign against the securitising the struggles of the workers in Iran and demand the complete abolition of all security sentences issued for labour activists, teachers and social activists.
4. We protest ILO because of its silence and appeasement with the Islamic regime about the ongoing violation of the very conventions declared by this organization, by the Iranian regime. This is shameful that this very regime is a ILO member!

The Islamic regime denies people their basic rights, such as the right to organize, the right to strike, the right to assemble, the right to celebrate the International Labour Day, the right to freedom of expression. Such a regime should not have a place in ILO.

We, along with other international labor and humanitarian organizations that have raised their voices against the brutal repression of the Islamic regime, call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ismail Bakhshi, Sepideh Gholyan, Jafar Azimzadeh, Mohammad Habibi, Ismail Abdi, Mahmoud Beheshti, Ruhollah Mardani, Athena Daemi, and all political prisoners in Iran. We support “Free Them Now” the Campaign to free all jailed workers in Iran.