In Iran workers are routinely arrested for going on strike, for building a union or for celebrating May Day..
Arbitrary arrests and detentions, long prison terms, violent interrogations, beatings, even use of lashing to degrade and break down, denial of medical care to sick detainees, constant harassment in the form of court summons, heavy bails and daily threats issued against the workers and their families, and the ultimate weapon of cutting workers off their livelihood by firing them, make up a brutal regime of systematic persecution of labour activists in Iran.
– 9 workers of Iron mine of Bafqh of Yazd, representing 5000 workers who had gone on strike in the summer of the previous year, were summoned to court .on 17th of January and 16th February were tried. The judicial authorities of Islamic Republic were not able to reach a decision due to fear of protests by workers. The next trial is due on March 2016. The trial of these 9 workers of Bafqh mine, because of their struggle for their righteous demands, is indeed the trial of all 5000 workers of this mine. These trials must be cancelled and any kind of fabrication of charges against them must be stopped.
Jafar Azimzadeh, a well-known labor leader and the head of the Free Union of Workers of Iran, and one of the coordinators of the 40 thousand-signatures-petition the increase in wages, went to Evin prison on November 8, 2015 in order to serve his six-year sentence.
Esmail Abdi, the secretary general of the Teachers’ Association, Was arrested on 27th July. He is accused of engaging in “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,”. He has sentenced to 6 years jail.
Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a labour and children’s rights activist, and a member of the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers’ Organisations in Iran, was arrested on 12 June 2012. Behnam has served five years of his original sentence. But he has sentenced to another seven years, 10 months and fifteen days imprisonment. Behnam suffers from various Esmail Abdi He has sentenced to 6 years jail on February 22, 2016
ailments such as kidney pain, bleeding gums, neck and back injuries . while his only child is undergoing treatment for Leukaemia (Blood Cancer).
In additional Mohammad Jarahi, Abdolreza Ghanbari, AliReza Hashemi, Ali Akbar Baqhani, Rasoul Bodaqhi , and many other political prisoners are in jail now.
Our demands are clear: the terror and violence against workers in Iran must stop! Workers in Iran should be able to freely exercise their fundamental right to set up their own organisations, meet, assemble and protest as they wish, take strike action, organise and take part in rallies, etc., without fear of being arrested and thrown in jail. All jailed workers must be immediately and unconditionally freed!
We call on all trade unions and human rights organisations around the world and all individuals and organisations appalled by the horrific human rights abuse in Iran to support and sign up to this campaign.
-We express our solidarity with Iranian workers and call for the immediate and unconditional release of Jafar Azimzadeh, Behnam Ebrahim zadeh and all jailed trade unionists and political prisoners in Iran; trials of 9 miners of Bafqh of Yazd, must be cancelled and any kind of fabrication of charges against them must be stopped.
– We condemn the Islamic regime of Iran for its persecution of worker activists and political dissidents;
– We support the struggle of the workers and people of Iran for freedom, the right to organise and strike, and for welfare, equality, justice and a life of dignity;
International Workers Solidarity Committee- Iran
Free Them Now
Shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com
https://free-them-now.com
February 2016