Monday 12 July 2010

Open letter by mother and brother of jailed worker Behnam Ebrahimzadeh

'he was so badly beaten that his leg and two ribs were broken'

Following is the translation of a letter from the mother and brother of one of the jailed workers, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh. Original Farsi appeared on Mission Free Iran:

To all humanist people across the world:
We demand the freedom of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and all other jailed workers


We are a working-class family in the city of Oshnaviye, Iran. Our 35-year-old son and brother, Behnam, is currently in prison. He was arrested on Saturday, June 12, in Tehran. Right at the outset he was so badly beaten that his leg and two ribs were broken. He called from the prison infirmary and told us about his condition. Since that day, however, we have had no news of him, and our enquiries remain unanswered by the authorities.

Our Behnam is a worker at Polyethylene Pipe Manufacturing in Shoorabaad, Shar-e-Rey, [southern most township of Greater Tehran metropolitan city]. He is a defender of the rights of workers, children, and human beings in general. He was arrested last year also for taking part in the rally held to celebrate May 1 at Laale Park in Tehran, detained for a month, and released on bail.

Besides Behnam, my husband and my other son, Abdolrahmaan Ebrahimzadeh and Eesa Ebrahimzadhe respectively, are also workers who have always fought for their right and never been quiet. They too were arrested last year - together with a number of their fellow workers - kept in jail for 12 days, and released on a bail of $10,000. Now they have been summoned again, and are due to present themselves to court on July 24.

My husband and children are being put under pressure because they want to live a dignified, human life. Instead, they have been thrown into jail like criminals, with files opened for them; just because they demand their right. And it’s been for many years now that this pressure has been on our family as well as the families of all other workers who have refused to be quiet and demanded their rights and wages. Their arrest translates into poverty and hunger for their families. Also, in the process of tracking the fate of their loved ones, families have to bear the constant pressure of insult and humiliation.

I and my son, Moosa, the writers of this letter, know that it may cause and cost us much trouble. But neither can we remain silent any more. How much more are we supposed to remain silent?

We demand the immediate freedom of all our loved ones, all the workers, all the people from jail. We want you to help us. Help us globally! All the workers and all the people, help us! Let us get together and do something: free Behnam; free all of the workers!

Aysha, mother of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh
Moosa, brother of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh

July 8, 2010

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