Shadi Glick, the wife of Arash Johari, was also arrested January 22,2022
Arash Johari, a labor activist, was arrested on October 5, 2021 and sentenced to seven years in prison. From inside the prison, he tells in an audio message about how he was arrested and why he is in prison today. He also spoke about the arrest of his wife, Shadi Glick, who was arrested this week on January 7, 2022. Arash asks all people and unions and freedom lovers to defend him and be his voice. ” “I am Arash Johari. A worker and a workers activist. On October 5, 2020, intelligence agents stormed my house, arrested me and accused me of opposing the current situation and the achievements of this government, that is, because I have spoken against the inhuman life of the working class and all people, poverty, prostitution, homelessness, under poverty line salaries, gender inequality, racial inequality, etc. I have been arrested for my human desires and defending people’s human dignity”.”
He goes on to talk about security cases against him and that he has been sentenced to seven and a half years, on three charges of, forming a group, conspiracy, and propaganda activities against the regime. According to him, his wife, Shadi Glik, was also sentenced to one year jail on charges of propaganda against the regime, and on the 22th of December, 2021, she was transferred to prison to spend her conviction. Shadi Glick, his wife, is a nurse who was awarded last year for her commitment and outstanding medical services for Covid19 patients. In his message, Arash Johari asks everyone to be her voice.
Free Them Now the Campaign to free all jailed workers in Iran, stands by Arash Johari and Shadi Glick, and demands their immediate release, and closure of their security cases and that of all political prisoners. By attaching the text of Arash Joahry’s message here, Free Them Now (FTN) calls on all labour unions, and humanitarian organisations around the world to hear Arash’s voice and to express their support for him and his family and other imprisoned workers and all political prisoners, in any way they can.
Please put pressure on the Islamic regime in any way you can to end its repression. Express your opposition to the ILO’s appeasement against the repressive Iranian regime. The Islamic Republic must be expelled from all international institutions, including the ILO.
Campaign To Free Jailed Workrer In Iran (Free Them Now)
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The text of the voice message:
I am Arash Johari. A worker and a workers activist. On October 5, 2020, intelligence agents stormed my house, arrested me and accused me of opposing the current situation and the achievements of this government, that is, because I have spoken against the inhuman life of the working class and all people, poverty, prostitution, homelessness, under poverty line salaries, gender inequality, racial inequality, etc. I have been arrested for my human desires and defending people’s human dignity. I was faced with all kinds of insults to myself and my family and my mother language (Turkish) during interrogations, and when I did not accept forced confessions, I was repeatedly threatened that a political case would be filed against my wife, Shadi Glick and she would be fired as a nuse.
Finally during my interrogation, the security intelligence formed a separate case against my wife, Shadi, in order to put pressure on me, according to their usual scenario, which is to create a security case for the activists and their families. After the interrogations, I was sentenced to sixteen years in prison on three counts: forming a group, conspiracy, and propaganda against the regime, which ten years of it was executable. Because of the pressures on my family and myself, I accepted it, and the sentence was reduced to seven years and six months imprisonment. My trial was so formal and ridiculous that the judge of Branch 26 himself later told my family that the verdict was not in my hands.
The case against Shadi Glick, my wife, was concluded to one year imprisonment, on charges of propaganda against the regime. (Shadi is in Evin prsion since January 8, 2022) and was upheld on appeal. Shadi is a nurse. Since the first day that Covid19 arrived in Iran, she worked in the worst working conditions. She is completely innocent and unaware of the issues she has been charged for, facing all kinds of insults and harassment, such as being prevented from using the bathroom, and being forced to confess by interrogators. Shadi from the day the country burned in the fire of the Covid19 and the oppressors took refuge in their penthouses out of fear of the pandemic, has worked hard in the hospitals, because of her social and humanitarian commitment. And now her award been interrogation, security cases, harassment and finally, this system has imprisoned her and take her hostage. .
Covid 19 has subsided, but the fire of repression and injustice is still burning people. Against all the human desires of the people, against the human life, against the demands such as freedom, equality and human well-being, there is a wall that has turned life into hell. And undoubtedly that wall is this prevailing system. You! Th people, are our justice system, our judge. Please listen to our voice and help us.
Arash Johari Evin Prison. Tehran