Fear for life of jailed Iran unionist, Reza Shahabi, on 6th day of dry hunger strike

The condition of jailed board member of Tehran's bus workers' union is described as extremely serious as he nears the end of the 6th day of his dry hunger strike in protest against his continued detention. In a letter to the world's trade unions and human rights organisations, Shahabi's family have raised the alarm about his health, calling for urgent international action to force the Iranian authorities to release him immediately. Shahabi was arrested in June 2010 and continues to be detained despite the fact that his family have provided the onerous bails demanded. Concerns for his health are particularly high as Shahabi already suffers from multiple medical problems. To follow: Text of the letter by members of Shahabi's family.

Another bus worker arrested as attacks on trade unionists intensify

Another member of Tehran’s bus workers’ union was arrested on Tuesday 10 November. Homayoon Jaaberi was detained at the Intelligence Ministry as he was making enquiries about the situation of another colleague, Gholamhosseini, who had been detained a week earlier.

Mr Jaaberi’s computer and other items have been seized from his home. Also, his wife is reported to have been threatened to co-operate with the security officials, otherwise ‘Jaaberi will be detained indefinitely’.

Jaaberi’s arrest comes in the wake of the recent detention of two other members of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, Saeed Torabian and Gholamreza Gholamhosseini. Both were physically attacked and detained on 4^th November. Torabian was later released on bail; however, Gholamhosseini is still in detention.

Two other leaders of the bus workers’ union, Mansoor Ossanlou and Ebrahim Madadi, are already serving long prison sentences for union activity. Also, Reza Shahabi, another board member, has been detained since 12 June 2010 for the same reason, without charge. Ossanlou and Shahabi are said to be suffering from a number of medical conditions.

On 8 November two members of the Follow-up Committee to Set Up Free Workers’ Organisations, by the names of Seddigh Khosravi and Ebrahim Esmaily, were arrested and are being held in an unknown location.

Meanwhile, trade unionist and human rights activist Behnam Ebrahimzadeh is being detained in Ward 350 of Evin Prison in Tehran. Behnam was recently admitted to the Prison’s clinic with a bleeding stomach, following a hunger strike in protest against his continued arbitrary detention and maltreatment.

We call on all trade unions and concerned activists and individuals around the world to protest in the strongest possible terms against these outrageous attacks by the Islamic regime on worker activists in Iran.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

You can help by publicising the cases of the jailed workers, signing the petition for their release, sending letters of protest to the Islamic Republic authorities, calling and/or joining protest actions in front of the Islamic Republic's embassies, etc.

Click here to sign the petition

Send letters of protest to:

Sadegh Larijani - Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadiran.ir

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://cp.president.ir/en/

Ali Khamenei – Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter  (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter  (Persian)

Free Them Now!

Campaign to Free Jailed Workers in Iran

14 November 2010

Co-ordinators:

 
Shahla Daneshfar (Shahla_Daneshfar@yahoo.com 0044-77798 98968)

Bahram Soroush (Bahram.Soroush@gmail.com 0044-7852 338334

Behnam’s detention extended for another month; call for urgent action

According to reports from Iran, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, labour and human rights activist, is being detained in Ward 350 of Evin Prison in Tehran. Behnam was recently admitted to the Prison’s clinic with a bleeding stomach, following a hunger strike in protest against his continued arbitrary detention and maltreatment.

Behnam was arrested over four months ago, on 12 June 2010. He was so badly beaten during his arrest that he suffered serious injuries to his rib cage and leg. He has never been charged, and is being detained solely for his labour and human rights’ activities.

After months of uncertainty and dragging, the authorities in September set the shamelessly exorbitant bail of $100,000 for his release. However, although Behnam’s family have now finally secured the onerous sum, the judiciary is still refusing to release him, giving the excuse that the bail must be based on assets from the capital Tehran and not the provinces.

“They are just wasting time while my brother’s life is in danger. We need the help of all the workers, of all the people, across the world to save Behnam”, said Moosa Ebrahimzadeh in an appeal to the people of the world (See here for the full text of Moosa's letter).


WHAT YOU CAN DO

You (in personal capacity and/or on behalf of your union/organisation) can help by publicising the case of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and other jailed workers in Iran, signing the petition for the release of Behnam and other jailed workers and by sending a letter of protest to the Islamic Republic authorities.


Please click here to sign the petition

Send letters of protest to:

Sadegh Larijani - Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadiran.ir

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://cp.president.ir/en/

Ali Khamenei – Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter  (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter  (Persian)


SAMPLE LETTER

[Date]

Dear Mr …

[Sadegh Larijani, Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran]
[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran]
[Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran]

Re Mr Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Iran

I am writing to protest in the strongest possible terms at the arbitrary arrest and detention of labour and human rights activist Mr Behnam Ebrahimzadeh.

Mr Ebrahimzadeh was arrested on 12 June 2010, and for months his whereabouts were unknown, despite repeated, anxious enquiries by members of his family. However, when Behnam’s family finally were able to make contact with him, they learnt that he was being held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran and that during his arrest he had been badly beaten up, as a result of which he had suffered serious injuries to his rib cage and leg.

Given Mr Ebrahimzadeh’s labour and human rights activities and the fact that no charges have been brought against him, it is clear that Mr Ebrahimzadeh is being detained solely for his labour and human rights’ activities – i.e. the same reason for which trade unionists such as Mansoor Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi and Reza Shahabi, and countless others before them, have been put in prison by your government.

Earlier this month, following a hunger strike in protest against his continued detention and maltreatment, Mr Ebrahimzadeh was admitted to the Prison’s clinic with a bleeding stomach. He finally agreed to end his strike at the request of his family, when his condition had become critical.

Furthermore, after months of uncertainty and dragging, an onerous bail of $100,000 was set for Mr Ebrahimzadeh’s release. Although Behnam has objected to the bail, protesting that he has not committed a crime to be in jail in the first place and now to have to pay bail for his release, his family have secured the amount. However, the authorities are still refusing to release him, giving the excuse that the bail must be based on assets from the capital Tehran and not the provinces.

Given the above, I wish to express my strongest protest against the detention of Mr Ebrahimzadeh and my concerns about his health and safety in prison. I call on your government to immediately and unconditionally release Mr Ebrahimzadeh and all the other jailed workers, including Mansoor Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi and Reza Shahabi.

Please be assured that I and my organisation are following this case closely, and will continue with all necessary publicity actions and national and international lobbying in order to secure Mr Ebrahimzadeh’s and other jailed activists’ safe release.

Yours faithfully,


[Name, position, organisation]

From brother of jailed Iranian trade unionist to people of the world: Behnam Ebrahimzadeh has gone on hunger strike. Help us save him!

Benham (Asad) Ebrahimzadeh is an Iranian worker. He is a workers’ rights, children’s rights and human rights activist. It is almost 4 months now that he has been languishing in solitary confinement in the notorious Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran for those same ‘crimes’. Although a $100,000 bail has been set for his release, the authorities refuse to release him and keep giving us the runaround.

Behnam was arrested on June 12, 2010. He was so badly beaten at the time of the arrest that his rib cage and leg were injured, and he is still suffering from a severely sore leg.

Behnam’s family visited him today, Sept. 30, and learned that he had started a hunger strike since yesterday, protesting the solitary confinement and the prison officials’ refusal to provide medical care for his leg. This is worrisome news and we are deeply concerned. His life is in danger and we must do something.

Behnam objects to the bail, saying he has not done anything to deserve imprisonment and to have to pay bail to be released. We, on the other hand, have repeatedly contacted the prison officials to let them know that we have the bail money ready in order to get Behnam released. But the officials refuse to give us a straight answer. All they say is, ‘we will contact you’, i.e. evading and dragging. Meanwhile Behnam continues to languish in solitary confinement. Some weeks they cancel even his family visitation. That, in turn, adds to his wife’s and children’s worries and the pressures they live under. The authorities are just wasting time while my brother’s life is in danger. We need the help of all the workers, of all the people, across the world to rescue Behnam.

I, Moosa Ebrahimzadeh, Behnam’s brother, write this letter on behalf of our family and Behnam’s family. We are concerned. We have no alternative but to fight for the freedom of Behnam, as well as of all other jailed activists, with everything in our power. We, therefore, expect you, the workers and all concerned people of the world, to help us. All Behnam did was struggle for a dignified life for all. Let us save him. Behnam and all other jailed workers, as well as others who are in jail for their justified, humanitarian demands, must be freed immediately.

I, for my part, thank all those who have so far carried out protests to free Behnam and other jailed workers. I also hereby announce my own campaign for Behnam’s freedom. Please support me in promoting this campaign.

Moosa Ebrahimzadeh
Sept. 30, 2010

Translation: Jamshid Haadiaan, Free Them Now! Campaign http://free-them-now.blogspot.com/

One-year additional sentence for Mansoor Osanloo confirmed; Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi continue to be detained

As reported previously, Mansoor Osanloo, President of Tehran’s bus workers’ union, was retried on 1 August 2010 and sentenced to one more year in prison for ‘propaganda against the system’. Now, according to news released by the bus workers’ union (Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company), the appeal court of Tehran County has confirmed the sentence. This one year sentence is in addition to the five-year sentence which Osanloo was given for his union activities, four years of which he has already spent.

Mansoor Osanloo suffers from a number of ailments, such as a heart condition, backache and eye problems, which various medical panels of the Islamic regime itself have confirmed and have then called for his release.

Meanwhile, two other board members of the union, Ebrahim Madadi and Reza Shahabi continue to be jailed, also for union activity. Madadi has already spent over two years of a three and half year sentence, and Shahabi has been detained since June 12th without charge. Shahabi suffers from neck and back pain, and is said to be in poor health.

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company has condemned the confirmation of the additional sentence on Osanloo and the continued detention of Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi, and called for their release.

The latest news regarding Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and Reza Shahabi

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, trade unionist and children rights activist, and Reza Shahabi, board member of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate, were visited by their families on Thursday Sept 2.

In this first visit since Behnam's arrest about three months ago, his family noticed serious injuries on his body. In his first telphone contact from prison, Behnam had informed his family about his injuries, inflicted in the hands of Islamic regime's jailers. His bail has been set at 100 million Rials (US$100,000). Behnam's family, while protesting this amount, are trying to raise the sum to release him.

Reza Shahabi has also been detained since June 12. He is in a critical health condition. His arrest order has been extended for three more months, he suffers from pain in his neck area and, while on medical leave, was kidnapped by the agents of the Information Ministry. Due to suspended medical treatment and three months' detention in Ward 209, he is now suffering from further physical problems such as backache and digestion problems.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners including Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Reza Shahabi, Mansoor Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi.

Release all imprisoned workers and political prisoners!

Free Them Now! Campaign

Shahla Daneshfar
0044-77798 98968
Shahla_Daneshfar@yahoo.com
Bahram Soroush
0044-7852 338334
Bahram.Soroush@gmail.com

To sign the Free Them Now! petition and for information about imprisoned workers, please visit:.
http://free-them-now.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Translated by Kamran
Courtsey of "A Global Revolution"

Letter from a member of Tehran's bus workers' union to 42nd Congress of ITF

Dear Colleagues,

I have learnt of the holding of your congress on August 5th 2010. Before I begin, I want to wish you a successful congress. I am writing this letter as an employee of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat e Vahed), who lives in Canada for security reasons. I am also a member of the Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, and a member of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, ITF.

My name is Manuchehr Mahdavi Tabar. I used to work in District 1 in Tehran and was arrested in February 2006. They arrested us only because we wanted our union and struggled for our rights. Close to one thousand were arrested and imprisoned in our strike. When the worldwide campaign started on 15th of February 2006, it resulted in the freeing of many workers in just two days thanks to the strength of the solidarity action. This historical worldwide labour action gave a new boost to our struggle and to the Iranian labour movement. Currently, under different conditions, our co-workers are sitting in prison. Three of our union members: Mansoor Osanlo, Ebrahim Madadi and Reza Shahabi have been imprisoned. Also Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and other labour activists were arrested and imprisoned during last month. These arrests have been made at a time when the whole of society is in protest and workplaces are under pressure of layoffs, inflation, poverty and unpaid wages. People are protesting on a daily basis. Labour activists and their leaders have been imprisoned to prevent labour protests. They have arrested them to crush the workers’ syndicate of Vahed Company. The Islamic Republic is scared of labour protests and fears that it could spread to other places in society. You witnessed how Farzad Kamangar and four other political activists were executed two months ago. Additionally 6 other workers and teachers are in prison right now.

Iranian workers need international support urgently more than any other time. As a worker of Vahed bus workers’ union, and a member of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), I request your congress to give its greatest support to Iranian workers. I hope that a resolution gets through at your congress in support of the imprisoned workers of Vahed Company and other jailed workers and political prisoners in Iran. I look forward to an urgent day of action proposed by your congress against worker repression in Iran and for the release of all workers and political prisoners in Iran.

Mansoor Osanlo, Ebrahim Madadi, Reza Shahabi, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and Mehdi Farrahi Shandiz and all other political prisoners in Iran must be freed immediately.

Manuchehr Mahadvi Tabar

20 July 2010

نامه يك كارگر شركت اتوبوسراني واحد ايران
به كنگره اتحاديه بين المللي كارگران ترانسپورت، آي تي اف

دوستان كارگر

مطلع شدم كه كنگره شما در ٥ اوت برگزار ميشود. قبل از هر چيز براي شما آرزوي كنگره اي پر از موفقيت را دارم. من بعنوان يك كارگر شركت اتوبوسراني واحد تهران كه اكنون به دليل خطرات امنيتي كه تهديدم ميكرد در كانادا زندگي ميكنم، بعنوان عضو سنديكاي شركت اتوبوسراني واحد و عضوي از اتحاديه بين المللي كارگران ترانسپورت، آي تي اف، اين نامه را به شما مينويسم.

من منوچهر مهدوي تبار كارگر شركت واحد هستم. در منطقه ١ در تهران كار ميكردم و در اعتصاب بهمن سال ٨٤ (٢٠٠٦) دستگير شدم. من و همكارانم را دستگير كردند، چون سنديكاي خود را ميخواستيم. چون براي حق و حقوقمان مبارزه ميكرديم. نزديك به هزار كارگر در اعتصاب ما دستگير و زنداني شدند. اما به ناگهان كمپيني جهاني در ١٥ فوريه ٢٠٠٦، برپا شد و قدرت اين همبستگي جهاني آنچنان بود كه در آنموقع ظرف دو روز تعداد بسياري از كارگران زنداني آزاد شدند و اين حركت تاريخي كارگري جهاني، نيروي جديدي به مبارزات ما و كارگران ايران داد. اكنون در شرايطي ديگر باز همكاران من در زندانند. ٤ نفر از اعضاي سنديكاي ما ، منصور اسانلو، ابراهيم مددي، سعيد ترابيان و رضا شهابي در زندانند. بهنام ابراهيم زاده و فعال ديگر كارگري را نيز در همين ماه گذشته دستگير كردند. اين دستگيريها در وضعيتي صورت گرفته است كه كل جامعه ايران در اعتراض و مبارزه است و مراكز كارگري زير فشار بيكارسازيها، گراني، فقر ، نپرداختن دستمزدها، در اعتراض هر روزه است. اين رهبران كارگري را زندان كرده اند تا جلوي اعتراض كارگران را بگيرند. اين رهبران را زنداني كرده اند تا سنديكاي شركت واحد را در هم بشكنند. جمهوري اسلامي از اعتراضات كارگران و گسترش آن بيم دارد. شما ديديد كه جمهوري اسلامي فرزاد كمانگر و ٤ فعال سياسي ديگر را دو ماه پيش اعدام كرد و الان جدا از ٦ كارگر زنداني تعدادي از معلمان نيز در زندانند.

اكنون كارگران ايران بيش از هر وقت نياز به حمايت بين المللي دارند. من بعنوان يك كارگر شركت اتوبوسراني واحد ايران، و عضوي از اتحاديه بين المللي كارگران ترانسپورت، ، از كنگره شما در خواست ميكنم كه وسيعترين حمايت خود را از كارگران ايران اعلام كنيد. انتظار دارم كه يك مصوبه كنگره شما حمايت از كارگران زنداني شركت واحد و ديگر كارگران زنداني و زندانياني سياسي در ايران باشد. انتظار دارم كه يك اقدام فوري كنگره شما تعيين روزي به عنوان روز اعتراض عليه سركوب كارگران در ايران و خواست آزادي همه كارگران از زندان باشد. منصور اسانلو،ابراهيم مددي، سعيد ترابيان، رضا شهابي، بهنام ابراهيم زاده و مهدي فراهي شانديز و همه زندانيان سياسي در ايران بايد فورا از زندان آزاد شوند.

منوچهر مهدوي تبار
٢٠ جولای ٢٠١٠