Arrest of Ali Najati; Ismail Bakhshi Transferred to Hospital Due to Torture

Simultaneously with the arrest of Ali Najati, a board member of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate, another labor organization reported on Thursday that "Ismail Bakhshi, the imprisoned representative of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers, was tortured and transferred to the hospital." The judiciary of Shush denied this news. The Committee for the Follow-up of Labor Organizations in Iran announced on Thursday: "Ismail Bakhshi has been subjected to such pressure and torture that due to stomach bleeding, he had to be transferred to a security hospital (probably a hospital managed by the IRGC) and hospitalized." Previously, the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran had stated in a statement referring to reports received by this organization that: "Security forces severely beat and tortured Ismail Bakhshi after his arrest, inflicting multiple blows to his head and face, causing his face to become bruised and swollen." The International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran noted that "agents inflicted severe blows to his body, resulting in severe stomach bleeding, and due to his dangerous physical condition, security forces transferred him to one of the security hospitals and hospitalized him." This labor organization suggested that "Ismail Bakhshi may have been hospitalized in the IRGC hospital in Ahvaz" and added: "After his transfer to the hospital and his hospitalization, no information is available about his fate." According to this report, "Security forces have attempted to impose baseless security charges on Ismail Bakhshi through extensive torture and psychological and physical abuse, but he has resisted this conspiracy and torture and has not accepted these charges." Meanwhile, the head of the judiciary in Shush denied reports of "torture" of Ismail Bakhshi and his transfer to the hospital. The official news agency of the Iranian judiciary (Mizan) quoted Sadegh Jafari Chaghini, the head of the judiciary in Shush, stating: "The news published in cyberspace and hostile media is completely false, and the accused Ismail Bakhshi is in perfect physical health and has contacted his family today." Mizan introduced Ismail Bakhshi as "one of the accused in illegal gatherings in Shush" and the head of the judiciary in Shush also stated that the publication of the news of his "torture" was published to "disturb public opinion." Earlier, Mostafa Nazari, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Shush, told ILNA news agency about the situation of Ismail Bakhshi: "We are waiting for the results of the investigations, and decisions will be made as soon as the results are obtained." The International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran, in another part of its statement, issued a strong warning to the Iranian government regarding any torture and harassment of Ismail Bakhshi and demanded the release of this labor activist and Ms. Sepideh Ghalean, a civil activist. Mr. Bakhshi and Ms. Ghalean were arrested by security forces in Shush last Sunday. Meanwhile, the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate announced that Ali Najati, a board member of this labor organization, was arrested on Thursday morning "by security and police forces" at his home. According to this report, Peyman Najati, Mr. Najati's son, and Majid Raaei, a guest of this labor activist, were also arrested and released after a few hours. The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate pointed out that the agents had "no warrant" and, in response to Ali Najati and his family's request for a warrant, "they beat them." Iranian officials have not yet reacted to this news. The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate also reported that "Ali Najati has been transferred to an unknown location." Meanwhile, according to ILNA news agency, one of the judicial officials in Khuzestan province confirmed Mr. Najati's arrest and said: "This arrest is probably not related to the Haft Tappeh workers' gatherings and is related to another case." In this context, the Committee for the Follow-up of Labor Organizations in Iran strongly condemned what it called "torture and case fabrication against Ismail Bakhshi, Sepideh Ghalean, and Ali Najati" and demanded their immediate and unconditional release. The protests of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers continue, with domestic and global support for them. Reports from social networks from Shush indicate the continuation of the strike and protests of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers on Thursday. They demanded the release of Ismail Bakhshi during their march and gathering, chanting: "Imprisoned workers must be freed." The Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers are demanding the transfer of ownership of this company to the workers under the management of a workers' council or to the government. Other demands include the full payment of overdue wages, the release of Ismail Bakhshi, the representative of the workers, and clarification of the employment status of seasonal workers. So far, two months of overdue wages for the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers have been paid. Meanwhile, the government of Hassan Rouhani has opposed their request for a change in the ownership of the company. In this regard, support for the protesting Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers and the National Industrial Steel Group continues both inside and outside Iran. According to a video circulated on social networks, several students from Tehran University of Art supported the workers' demands during a gathering. Previously, several students at universities in Tehran, Zanjan, and Ahvaz had supported the demands of the protesting workers in Khuzestan province. Earlier, workers from Aryan Steel Company in Bouin Zahra, Qazvin province, also gathered in front of the governor's office on Tuesday to support the striking workers of the National Industrial Steel Group and the Haft Tappeh sugarcane company. These supports have also been expressed by several labor organizations, workers from various factories, the Tehran Teachers' Guild, and two retirees' organizations. The Iranian Writers' Association also issued a statement in defense of the Haft Tappeh workers' demands, stating: "The Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers have taken to the streets and raised their voices in protest, exercising their citizenship rights." The Iranian Writers' Association also deemed any attempt to silence the voice of protest as "a clear violation of freedom of expression" and demanded the "immediate and unconditional release of Ismail Bakhshi and Sepideh Ghalean." According to the Free Workers' Union of Iran, the General Confederation of Labor in France (CGT) also issued a statement in support of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers, stating: "For several years, the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers have been fighting for their basic rights, including improved working conditions and payment of overdue wages." The General Confederation of Labor in France (CGT) emphasized the need to fulfill the demands of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers and called for the release of all detained workers and political prisoners. Previously, the International Confederation of Agricultural and Food Workers and Services, along with the British Teachers' Union and the Italy-based Iran Protest group, had supported the demands of the protesting workers, and the organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch criticized the crackdown on them.