Stop persecution of worker activists and political prisoners in Iran. Free them now!

A piece by Maryam Namazie that first featured on her blog on 28/12/2012

The regime in Iran has again stepped up its persecution of worker activists – from more arrests to harassment of those already in jail and their families. These activists are in prison purely for their trade union activities. They must be freed immediately and unconditionally.

Reza Shahabi is a leader of the Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs United Bus Company. He has been in prison for the past two and a half years. Shahabi suffers from a number of ailments, and since last week in protest against denial of proper medical care has begun a hunger strike and is also refusing medicines. There are now serious concerns for his health.

Five members of the workers’ organisation the Co-ordinating Committee to Help Set Up Labour Organisations have been arrested in the city of Bokan in the West of Iran. They are: Jamal Mina Shiri, Ebrahim Mostafa Poor, Ghasem Mostafa Poor, Hadi Tanomand and Mohammad Karimi. Their families, who have been protesting outside the Intelligence Ministry, have been told that the detained activists will remain in prison for another week.

Pedram Nassrollahi, a member of the Co-ordinating Committee to Help Set Up Labour Organisations, has had a third court hearing where his 19-month sentence has been confirmed. He has also been moved to solitary confinement and is currently incommunicado.

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh is a labour and children’s rights activist and a member of the Follow-Up Committee to Set Up Free Labour Organisations. Ebrahimzadeh, who has already served half of a five-year sentence, has been moved to solitary confinement and is currently incommunicado.

According to the Follow-Up Committee to Set Up Free Labour Organisations, the children of jailed labour activist Mohammad Jarahi are being harassed as a way of exerting pressure on their father. Jarahi has already spent 15 months in prison, as part of a five-year sentence.

Ali Nejati, a leader of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers’ Union, and his wife Shahnaz Sogand are constantly being summoned and harassed.

In addition, Shahrokh Zamani, a member of the Follow-Up Committee to Set Up Free Labour Organisations, is serving an 11-year sentence; Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Teachers Trade Association, is serving a 6-year sentence; Abdolreza Ghanbari, a teacher activist, is on death row for taking part in an anti-government demonstration in December 2009; and numerous political dissidents are in prison for opposing the Islamic regime.

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All jailed trade unionists and political prisoners must be freed immediately and unconditionally! Harassment of workers and their families must stop immediately!

Free Them Now! Campaign to Free Jailed Workers in Iran
Shahla Daneshfar shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com
Bahram Soroush bahram.soroush@gmail.com
28 December 2012

14 comments:

  1. This is the country that the evil dictator Saddam Hussein who had weapons of mass destruction held in his evil grip and intended to use them on the west we were told that the world and Iraq would be a better place after his removal,so in went the forces of good on behalf of the free world and the people of Iraq, we witnessed the public humiliation of Hussein with his execution.and today we see the superb legacy left behind by the west.hundred of thousands dead the economy ruined and the country,s assets stripped,and even bigger thugs running the country but at least their western friendly and thats all that matters..

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  2. Marty,

    I think you are mixing Iran up with Iraq

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  3. Jesuuussss mate I apologise its the drink its turning me into a Mickeybhroy.Ill leave that post up so that others can learn that hangovers and computers dont mix. its a disgrace that throughout this modern world that those who work for the betterment of their fellow workers have been victimised so badly and what makes it worse is that fellow workers throughout the world stand idly by and allow this to happen, again sorry about the previous glaring mistake a cara.

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  4. Marty:

    After the invasion of Iraq, when GW Bush stated, "We will clean the country of "WMD", not one was found. Yes, Chemical ALI used gas on his own people, I condone that.

    Now to the country which this piece relates to, "Iran", it is a Muslim fundamentalist state, they have nuclear weapon capabilities, secretive, just like North Korea. The people are being suppressed to their limits, people are forced to come and display approval for there leader, even if the don't approve of him, if they dissent, they are either locked up or shot. But, Why are all western states allowed to have nuclear weapons, but not Muslim or Arab states, You can be rest assured that Israel has Nuclear weapons, It was supposed to be a deterrent, now it is being used as a threat. But I believe that this country with its present leader should not have them. He oppresses his own people.

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  5. Yes it is easy done Marty.
    I made a grave error on stating that articles 2 and 3 had been deleted from the Irish Constitution, when in reality, they were amended.
    I deleted my post and stated the reason why.

    Michaelhenry came back at me and said, "I don't have to delete any of my posts", Meaning his of course.

    I Just took it like a pinch of sault.

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  6. ItsjustMacker: Muslim and Arab States bad. Western States good. All nuclear-weapon hoarding psychopathic and repressive warmongers are equal but some are more equal than others.

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  7. Itsjustmacker,

    I think when something like that happens it is best just to leave the comment in because there is usually a follow on which is sometimes not understood when the comment that is being responded to is then deleted. Everybody makes mistakes on these things. No big deal. We just correct them and move on.

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  8. Wouldn't it be great if Michael Henry did delete his posts though? Like before he wrote them?

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  9. I think he is a republican plant in SF; there to make the party look bonkers! I think he winds us up and doesn't believe the half of it

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  10. Belfast Bookworm:

    I understand were your coming from, in my opinion they should all be banned, The Biggest warmongers are the USA/Britain/France, but they all follow USA, wars for OIL. That's my opinion. We just have to look at the turmoil in Afghanistan/Iraq/Libya, Were next, IRAN?.

    Anthony.

    I promise I will not delete anymore posts, swear to god!.

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  11. Itsjustmacker,

    no problem!! Its no big deal.

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  12. Itsjustmacker - yes. Iran. Without a shadow of a doubt.

    They (the powers thar be) are already prepping us (the gullible minions)for it in every possible media outlet imaginable; news, press, blogs, social networks - telling us how bad/awful a country it is so that when the country is obliterated itll be a much more palatable experience and we'll not lose any sleep over the millions of cheap lives destroyed. Just like Iraq.

    The regime in Iran is grotesque. The assaults on human dignity absolutely and utterly appalling but the world has to remember that these abuses are carried out by a tiny minority of power hungry misogynistic control freaks who are exploiting and misinterpreting a religion for their own gain. I doubt we will though.. Once the drones start to fall and an ancient place and people is destroyed.

    All for the greater good though, eh?

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  13. Anthony; In my early visits here I used to think that MH was a character you'd created to liven up/dumb down (delete as appropriate) TPQ.

    Now I know that you would need an imagination on a par with Danny M's to conjure up a Mickey!

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