Conflicting Reports on the Health Status of Ismail Bakhshi; Continued Labor Protests

Simultaneously with the denial of reports of torture and the transfer of Ismail Bakhshi to the hospital by officials and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, several labor organizations emphasized the accuracy of this news. According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, the judiciary of Khuzestan issued a statement on Friday, December 9, stating that the news published about bleeding due to 'the torture of detained worker Ismail Bakhshi of the Haft Tapeh paper mill and his deteriorating condition is aimed at disturbing public opinion and undermining the judiciary' and strongly denied it. The judiciary of this province stated that Mr. Bakhshi 'has enjoyed all legal rights during the preliminary proceedings and also made a phone call to his family on Thursday, December 8.' The statement said that 'investigations of the accused are being conducted directly under the supervision of the judicial authority, and any news indicating the deterioration of his condition is strongly denied.' Sadegh Jafari Chaghini, the head of the Shush judiciary, also denied the news of torture and the transfer of Ismail Bakhshi on Thursday night. This judicial official told the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, that 'the news published in cyberspace and hostile media is completely false, and the accused Ismail Bakhshi is in perfect physical health and made a phone call to his family on Thursday.' This judicial official did not provide further explanation regarding Mr. Bakhshi's condition and did not clarify why the news of torture and his transfer was denied after about a day. Earlier, the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran published news on Wednesday about the torture and transfer of Ismail Bakhshi to a hospital managed by the IRGC in Ahvaz due to his deteriorating condition. Following that, the Committee for the Follow-up of Labor Organizations in Iran issued a statement on this matter on Thursday. A similar statement was also published by the Retirees' Union. Nevertheless, according to the state news agency IRNA, Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan, emphasized the 'physical health' of Ismail Bakhshi. The official channel of the Haft Tapeh workers also reported on Thursday night, citing 'reliable sources,' that this labor activist is in 'good physical health' and has contacted his family. This channel publishes news from the labor representatives of the Haft Tapeh sugar cane company. However, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company reported on Thursday night based on 'reliable news received' that 'security forces severely beat Ismail Bakhshi, specifically inflicting blows to his face, causing bruising and swelling.' This labor syndicate added: 'A few days ago, after suffering from severe stomach bleeding, Ismail Bakhshi was transferred to a security hospital under the supervision of security forces and hospitalized, and according to received news, after hospitalization, instead of being released, he was transferred back to detention.' This labor organization reported 'psychological harassment and physical assault on Ismail Bakhshi to force him to accept false charges' based on 'received news.' This statement was also republished by the Syndicate of Workers of the Haft Tapeh sugar cane company. The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company added: 'It has been observed that some, either due to ignorance or for other motives, or because Ismail has contacted his family, have denied the news of Ismail's beating, and hereby we confirm the mentioned news and express concern about his condition, condemning the actions taken against Ismail Bakhshi.' Mr. Bakhshi, along with 18 others, was arrested by security forces in Shush last Sunday. 17 of the detainees have been released on bail, while Sepideh Gholian, a civil activist, remains in custody like Ismail Bakhshi. The protests of the Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers continue on the 26th day. Images and videos published on social media indicate the continuation of protests by Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers in Shush, where they demand the release of Ismail Bakhshi in their slogans. The protests of Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers continued despite the labor representatives of the company calling for an end to the workers' protests on Thursday. In recent days, news has circulated about pressure to end labor protests in Haft Tapeh and Ahvaz. Among them, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, threatened that 'using workers' demands as an excuse to disrupt the order of the country is unacceptable.' The Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers began a new round of their labor protests 26 days ago. This protest began after news of the escape or arrest of the private employer of the Haft Tapeh sugar cane company following the receipt of $800 million in foreign currency facilities. This occurred while at the start of the strike and protests by the Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers, three months of their wages had not been paid. The Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers demand the transfer of ownership of the company to the workers with management by a workers' council or, in other words, self-management, or to the government under the supervision of a workers' council. Complete payment of overdue wages, the release of Ismail Bakhshi, the workers' representative, and clarification of the employment status of seasonal workers are among their other demands. So far, two months of the four months of overdue wages have been paid, but Hassan Rouhani's government has opposed changing the ownership of the company.