Massive clampdown on Iranian labour activists
On Friday 15th June 60 labour activists and worker rights advocates were arrested by heavily armed police at a peaceful meeting of the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations in the city of Karaj. Within 24 hours, according to the most recent information, most had been released but nine remain in the custody of the intelligence services in Rasht: Cyrus Fathi, Alireza Asqari, Jalil Mohammadi, Saeed Marzban, Masood Salim Pour, Maziar Mehrpour, Reyhaneh Ansari, Faramarz Fetrat Nejad and Mitra Homayouni.
There is good reason to fear for the physical and psychological integrity of those still in detention.
These rights defenders need international solidarity and support. Send your protest message to the Iranian authorities demanding their immediate and unconditional release today!
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ما نگرانی عمیق از دستگیری 60 تن از فعالین کارگری و اعضای کمیته هماهنگی در روز 15 خرداد که در نشستی مسالمت آمیز برای کمک به حل معضلات کارگران گردهم آمده بودند ؛ را اعلام می داریم
با توجه به اطلاعات ما دست کم 9 تن از دستگیرشدگان ( کوروش فتحی , علیرضا عسگری , جلیل محمدی , سعید مرزبان , مسعود سلیم پور , مازیار مهرپور , ریحانه انصاری , فرامرز فطرت نژاد ) همچنان در بازداشت به سر می برند که نگرانی خود را از وضعیت و سلامت ایشان اعلام می داریم. ما خواهان آزادی فوری و بدون قید و شرط آنها هستیم
برای امضا پتیشن از اینجا وارد شوید
*Please note that some messages may bounce back – do not be discouraged! Server overload is a common condition in Iran, and the authorities sometimes turn off their e-mail to tune out public opinion – but some messages will get through, making the point that persecuted labour rights activists enjoy international support.
June 23rd, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Free all jailed workers in Iran now.
June 23rd, 2012 at 4:44 pm
It is far past the time workers be treated with respect, not thrown in prison or abused in other ways no matter which country they live in.
June 24th, 2012 at 2:31 am
Respect your workers. They should be of great importance to you. Regard them highly. You need them.
June 24th, 2012 at 2:48 am
By threatening Iranian labor activists, you only give your national enemies another excuse to demonize or even attack Iran.
June 24th, 2012 at 6:25 am
The Fundamental Rights of the Workers should be respected and Justice should be provided to all innocent Iranian Workers
June 25th, 2012 at 9:02 am
The harrasment and victimisation is the same like Zimbabwe. The workers in the Sugar Milling Industry are being refused or denied freedom of association and the right to choose to belong to a trade union of their choice.
Workers are being forced to subscribe to a union which they have since renouned their membership with. This union is aligned to ZANU (PF), a political party.
After ditching the politically aligned union, Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Industry Workers Union whose General Secretary is himself an employer, it is stillreally shocking that the employer is continuosly deducting the dues from the defecting members.
As we speak, the leaders of the defected workers are continuously harrassed and victimsed by the General Secretary of the yellow union and with some arrogant members of managment (Tongaat Hullets Zimbabwe). Their crime being they rebelled against President Mugabe by joining a splinter union, Sugar Production and Milling Industry formed by the disgruntled workers. The union has over 14 000 members out of the potential membership of 17 000.
The Sugar Milling Industry is located in the Lowveld area of Zimbabwe.
June 25th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
I live and work often in the Middle East. This repression of labor must stop.
June 29th, 2012 at 7:17 am
I demand that the trade unionists be released unconditionally; Allow them the freedom to represent the interests of the silent minority