Protest against the outrageous whipping sentences, arrests and imprisonment of labour activists in Iran!

Sample Protest Letter

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Presidency,

Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: + 98 21 649 58 80

Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

I am writing this to express my (organization) outrage over the recent whipping sentences and jail terms against labour activists in Iran. I (We) have been informed that Ms. Sousan Razani and Ms. Shiva Kheirabadi each were sentenced to 4 months imprisonment and 15 lashes; Mr. Abdullah Khani was sentenced to 91 days prison and 40 lashes and Mr. Seyed Qaleb Hosseini was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment and 50 lashes. The verdict was issued by the Criminal Court of Sanandaj – branch 101. The above labour activists are sentenced so severely only because of their participation in 2008 May Day celebration in Sanandaj. In addition, Mr. Khaled Hosseini, a worker activist, was sentenced to 91 days suspended jail and 30 lashes because of his efforts in support of Mahmoud Salehi who was imprisoned at the time.

More shockingly, I (we) were informed that on July 20, 2008, Mr. Farzad Kamangar was sentenced to death after having a seven minutes trial. Farzad Kamangar is a teacher, who has been tortured gravely for allegations such as collaborating with Pejak Party, membership with PKK, transporting explosives and etc. Various individuals, progressive forces and organizations from Iran and abroad have protested his detention and the recent death sentence against him but your government has disregarded all these pleas.

Another activist, Mr. Afshin Shams, was arrested in July 2008. Mr. Shams is a labour activist, a member of “Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ organizations”, a member of the “Committee in Dense of Mahmoud Salehi” and a member of ”Caricaturists Society”. Moreover, there have been other arrests and charges against labour and social activists in Iran as well as dismissal of labour activists, including the recent dismissal verdict against nine members of the bus workers syndicate.

All the above arrests and repressive measures are clear indications of intensified offensives against the entire labour movement in Iran. I (We) call on your government to unconditionally and immediately release all prisoners of conscious and repeal all charges and sentences against labour activists in Iran. We also call for the freedom of Mansour Osanloo, the president of Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, who has been imprisoned since July 2007 and is serving a five year jail term. We also demand the immediate recognition and realization of human and workers’ rights to all workers in Iran, including the rights to organize freely and to strike.

Name

Organization

Position

Send Copy of your Protest Letters to:

Leader of the Islamic Republic:
Ayatollah Sayed *Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street
Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir OR istiftaa@wilayah.org
Fax:   011 98 251 7774 2228

Head of the Judiciary:
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building
Panzdah-Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:   011 98 21 3390 4986 (may be difficult to reach)
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 733 02 03, E-mail: mission.iran@ties.itu.int

CC: info@workers-iran.org