TWSC Condemns The Jailing & Repression of Iranian Trade Unionists On May Day 2009
TWSC Condemns The Jailing & Repression of Iranian Trade Unionists On May Day 2009
Press Release Press Release
5/15/1009
The Transportation Workers Solidarity Committee condemns the arrest of trade unionists in Iran by the Iranian regime during the commemoration of the May Day 2009. The right of workers to assemble is a basic labor right and the arrest of these workers for participating in a May Day event is an attack on all workers throughout the world. The arrested include
1-Jafar Azimzadeh 2- Gholamreza Khani 3- Mansoor Hayatgheibi 4- Fateme Shah Nazari 5-Alireza Saghafy 6- Mohsen Saghafy 7- Kaveh Mozaffari 8- Amir Yaghoobali 9- Mohammad Faraji 10- Saleh Kiamari 11- Mohammad Ashrafi 12 -Unese Arjang 13- Mehdi Farahi Shandiz 14- Saeid Uzi 15- Maryam Mohseni 16- Homayon Jabari 17- Shapour Ehsani 18- Jelveh Javaheri 19- Taha Vali 20- Pouria Pushtareh 21- Homa Ajdarnia 22- Hamid Khademi 23- Ainolah Basiri 24- Mahmoud Hosseini 25- Omid Shafie 26- Aisan Zarfam 27- Meysam Jafar Nejad 28- Maeilhe Yazdi 29- Masoud Logman 30- Abdoulhassan Shahari 31- Mohammad Lotfi 32- Gholamhossein Razavi 33- Star Sataripour 34- Afsaneh Azimzadeh 35- Seyed Javad Mosavi 36- Yekzad Zangeneh 37- Amirali Yaghoubi 38- Hamid Ghorbani 39- Serous Rahiad 40- Jamal Sied Ali 41- Saeed Sajodi 42- Ali Moadan 43- Najma Ranjbaran 44- Parvaneh Ghasemian 45- Mir Bahari 46- Alireza Firozie
At another event in Tehran, organized by Metal workers, over 30 persons were arrested and twenty five of those were subsequently put in custody.
Also on the 1st of May, six labour activists were arrested at the May Day event in the city of Sanandaj. According to our information they were released the day after, albeit on heavy bails (26 million toman). Their names are: 1- Shabbou Khalili (Golriz) 2- Shiva Sobhani 3- Farzam Abdi 4- Foaad Keykhosravi 5- Babak Bajlani 6- Mansour Karimian. All six of them suffered aggressive treatment during their detention. Ms Shabbou and Ms Shiva were handcuffed and blindfolded throughout the whole of their custody.
We demand that the Iranian government release these workers and end their sordid record of intimidation and repression against the trade unions and workers movement. These actions must be opposed by all transportation workers, trade unionists and working people throughout the world.
Transport Workers Solidarity Committee
www.transportworkers.org
From: Bahram Soroush
To: 'Bahram Soroush'
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 3:57 AM
Subject: Iran - updated - call for a campaign for the release of 100 May Day detainees
[The following is the translation of a call for a campaign issued jointly by a large number of workers’ organisations and collectives in Iran for the release of some 100 workers still in jail following a brutal attack by the Islamic Republic’s security forces on their rally at Tehran’s Laleh Park on May Day 2009. List of signatories is growing. Last updated 15th May]:
* * *
Call for a campaign for the release of May Day detainees
To workers and labour organisations in Iran and around the world!
On May Day, workers and their families who had gathered at Tehran’s Laleh Park, following a call by the May Day Organising Committee (made up of Iran’s independent labour organisations), to voice their demands and to commemorate this day, were attacked by the police and security forces and plain clothes officers. A number of people who were in the park were also attacked. Using various brutal means and instruments, the security forces seriously injured a large number of people and arrested and put in jail over 150. Of these, around 100 are still in prison.
These people had not committed any crime to be attacked and detained in such an inhuman way. Today they are in jail, in appalling conditions, for [commemorating May Day] together with billions of workers around the world; for voicing the demands of millions of people in Iran who are humiliated everyday, not paid for months and suppressed for setting up independent organisations; for raising their voice of protest. Their families have been contacting the courts and other judicial authorities every day to seek their release, but are being met by abuse and conflicting responses.
We millions of working people who yearn for equality have a responsibility towards the imprisoned workers and their families and must not leave them alone. By declaring this campaign, we call on all labour and human rights organisations in Iran and internationally to condemn the arrest of these loved ones and to call for their unconditional release. We call on them to do all within their power and to use all possible means to support these workers and their families and insist on their demands as set out in their May Day Resolution.
Long live the class solidarity of workers of the world!
Please send your statements of support and reports of actions taken to the following email address: campain1may@gmail.com
Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company
Union of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers
Free Union of Iranian Workers
Committee for the Re-opening of the Union of Building Painting and Decoration Workers
Co-operating Council of Workers’ Organisations and Activists, comprised of:
- Follow-up Committee to Form Free Workers’ Organisations
- Co-ordinating Committee to Aid Formation of Workers’ Organisations
- A Group of Worker Activists
- Women’s Council
- Association for Support of Worker Rights
Supported by:
Kermanshah Electricity and Metal Society; Society to Defend Sacked Workers of Saqez; Committee to Defend Haft Tape Workers; Workers of Sanandaj Par-Ris Factory; Sanandaj Shin-Baaft Textile Factory; Workers of Shahoo Companies; Kurdistan Textile; Gharb-Baaft [Textile Company]; Sheel Brick; Pak Ara Milk; Sama Gunnysack Makers; Fajr Flour; Niroo Raksh [Power Company]; Service workers of Sanandaj Tohid Hospital; A group of Sanandaj retirees; Workers of West Kermanshah Carpet Company; Dena Tyre Company; Ghaiee Cement; A group of workers of Asalouye [Petrochemical Complex]; A group of Iran Khodro [Car Company]; New since 15th May: A group of Kian Tyre (Alborz) workers; Khameneh Textile workers; Ahvaz Pipe-Making Company
Translation:
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran (ILSC-WPI). For info: Bahram.soroush@gmail.com Shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com
The following are among around 100 still in jail:
1- Jafar Azim Zadeh
2- Shapour Ehsani Rad
3- Bahram (Isa) Abedini
4- Saeed Yuzi
5- Behrooz Khabbaz
6- Yunes Arzhang
7- Maryam Mohseni
8- Mohammad Ashrafi
9- Laleh Mohammadi
10- Sharif Mohammadi
11- Afsaneh Azimzadeh
12- Fatemeh Eghdami
13- Fatemeh Shah Nazari
14- Mohammad Lotfi
15- Masoud Loghman
16- Ghloamreza Khani
17- Mansoor Hayat Gheibi
18- Behnaz Farmanbar
19- Parvaneh Ghasemian
20- Meysam Jafar Nejad
21- Amir Yaghoub Ali
22- Kaveh Mozaffari
23- Jelveh Javaheri
24- Alireza Saghafi
25- Mohsen Saghafi
26- Asadollah Poorfarhad
27- Alireza Firouzi
28- Pourya Pishtazeh
29- Taha Valizadeh
30- Homa Azhdarnia
31- Hamid Khademi
32- Einollah Basiri
33- Omid Shafiee
34- Navid Yazdi
35- Nasrin Alizadeh
36- Sajjad Sabz Alipour
37- Aysan Zarfam
38- Khoshbakht
39- Ahmad Davoudi
40- Mohammadi Salimi
41- Mohammad Ehsani
42- Saleh Kia Abadi
43- Hamid Yaghoub Ali
44- Sirous Fathi
45- Sharifeh Fathi
46- Maryam Mirbahari
47- Maryam Yaminifar
48- Mahmoud Hosseini
49- Homayoun Jaberi
50- Behnam Ebrahim Zadeh
51- Hamid Malak Zadeh
52- Sadegh Keyvan
53- Azhan Pour Sharifi
54- Zanyar Ahmadi
55- Behzad Khabbaz
56- Hamid Yaghoub Ali
57- Mehdi Shandiz Farahani
58- Farajollah Sa’di
59- Najme Ranjbaran
60- Ali Moa’zzab
61- Saeed Sajoodi
62- Hamid Ghorbani
63- Yekzad Zangeh
64- Asghar Yavari
65- Gholamreza Rajabi