The annual ILO conference starts on June 3rd in Geneva. The presence of the Islamic fascist and sexual apartheid regime of Iran, the regime of executions and killings, the acceptance of an anti-worker and anti-human regime in an organization that carries the name of the workers is shameful. Free Them Now (FTN), campaign to free jailed workers, struggles and campaigns for a global boycott of the Islamic Republic and the trial of the leaders of this regime for more than 44 years of crimes and repression, which are the examples of crimes against humanity. An important campaign in this direction is to expel the Islamic Republic from the International ILO and it has been going on for a long time.
Executions continue on a large scale in Iran. The Islamic government is killing every day in an effort to push back the protests and uprising of the people. In 2023, this government had the record of executions in the world and executed at least 834 people. More than half of those executed were prisoners related to drugs. Free Them Now (FTN) is a member of the global campaign against executions and a member of the “joint action” of 84 institutions to stop drug-related executions, the largest number of executions in Iran. We protest against the cooperation of the United Nations with the Islamic regime and allocating money to this regime, under the title of “fighting drug trafficking”. This regime itself is the world’s largest drug cartel. The United Nations should put a complete and immediate stop of executions in Iran as its policy and put the execution regime under widespread international pressure.
In August 2022, the Islamic government killed Mahsa Amini just because of hijab (the Islamic veil). This crime followed the eruption of people’s anger and a revolution with the slogan of “woman, life, freedom” was the response of the people to the government. a revolution whose repercussions was global. The Islamic regime confronted the people with repression and killings, and according to the report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Committee, which was published on March 8, 2024, during the revolution, 551 people were killed and thousands were arrested, and reports of brutal torture, rapes, and beatings of prisoners to death was revealed. The UN fact-finding committee called these acts of the regime “an example of crimes against humanity.” Now, due to more reports about the continuation of these crimes, the mission of this committee and the special rapporteur on Iran affairs has been extended.
The news of executions in Iran is very worrying. According to reports, every six hours one person is executed in Iran. Currently, a number of supporters of 2022 revolution, including Tomaj Salehi, Abbas Deris, Habib Deris, Mujahid Kourkouri, Reza Rasaei, Mehran Bahramian, and Fazel Bahramian, are in danger of execution. Iranian people need the most international support, and executions must be stopped.
On the other hand, arrests and security cases are widespread. A large-scale war is going on over the hijab, against executions and in defence of life and livelihood throughout the society. Among them, the security pressure on teachers is intense. Dozens of workers and teachers are currently in prison, along with many women protesting the hijab, students and various sections of society.
The least defending the workers and the labor movement requires defending the expulsion of this anti-labor government from the International Labor Organization. Just as in the 1930s the representatives of the German Nazi regime were expelled from the ILO, today this Islamic fascist government should be expelled from the International Labor Organization.
Free Them Now, the campaing to free jailed workers in Iran, calls on all workers unions and humanitarian organizations in the world to join this campaign and support the expulsion of this government and its representatives from this world organization on the eve of the ILO annual conference. “Free Them Now” emphasizes the urgency of the struggle of the workers and people of Iran and the global boycott of the Islamic regime.
Shahla Daneshfar, spokesperson of FTN
Kazem Nikkhah: head of international relations of FTN
May 9, 2024
