On 5th November 2018, a group of teachers including family members of Hashem Khastar, the kidnapped activist, gathered in front of Ebne Sina psychiatric hospital and called for his freedom.
The protest that was called by Teachers’ Association was attacked by armed forces and 8 people including Hashem Khastar’s son were arrested. Hashem’s wife, Mrs Sedigheh Maleki is taken and no one knows about her whereabouts and conditions.
Hashem Khastar was kidnapped on 23rd October and a day after his family found out that he is admitted to the acute section of the men’s psychiatric hospital of Ebne Sina in Mashhad.
On 29th October 2018, Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Association released an statement on kidnapping of Hashem Khastar in which it stated: “If building up cases, insults, accusations, summoning, arrests and imprisonment of teachers is not stopped in Iran, teachers will not leave the humiliations and abuses without a response.”
The kidnapping, arrests and attacks on protestors must not be tolerated by international workers’ organisations. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been ignoring all the very basic rights of workers, has flogged workers, executed activists, kidnapped activists, brutally attacked workers’ assemblies and protests, has denied them right to organise, and now arrests and kidnaps family of Hashem Khastar. This aggression must not be tolerated, this aggression must have serious consequences for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We call on all the workers’ organisation around the world to condemn Islamic Republic of Iran for the absolute injustice, and demand immediate expulsion of Islamic Republic of Iran from ILO. Such regime with such history and such aggression against workers has no place in International Labour Organisation or any other organisation that represent workers.
Campaign to Free jailed workers in Iran
November5, 2018