Continued Judicial Actions Against Labor Activists; Iranian Free Workers Union: Political Prisoners Should Be Released

Judicial actions against labor activists in Iran continue. In the latest case, four labor activists were sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj to a total of 6 years and 9 months of suspended imprisonment. In this context, the Iranian Free Workers Union called for an end to the repression of workers and the unconditional release of all imprisoned workers, teachers, and political activists. According to this labor organization, in one case, based on the ruling of the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, Kamal Karimi was sentenced to 9 months of imprisonment for 'membership in one of the parties,' which was suspended for two years. Shadman Abdi was also sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment for 'membership in one of the parties,' 'conspiracy against internal and external security,' and 'forming an illegal group,' with a suspension of two and a half years. Additionally, Khabat Mahmoudi was sentenced to one and a half years for 'membership in one of the parties' and 'conspiracy against national security,' with a two-year suspension. According to the report, these three labor activists were arrested on May 17 of this year while they were visiting the family of Houman Abdollahi, a victim of the nationwide protests of 2022, to commemorate him. Their arrest was carried out by security forces without a judicial order and through the use of violence. These labor activists were released on bail in June. The Iranian Free Workers Union also reported that Iqbal Shabani was sentenced to 30 months of suspended imprisonment by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj. He was tried on July 15 for 'membership in one of the opposition parties.' Iqbal Shabani is an inspector of the bakers' union in Sanandaj, who was arrested by intelligence agents on May 19 of this year and was temporarily released on June 1 after posting a bail of 500 million tomans. The Iranian Free Workers Union condemned the sentencing of Iqbal Shabani and called for an end to the repression of workers and the unconditional release of all imprisoned workers, teachers, and political activists. In recent months, the arrest of workers, teachers, and their union activists has intensified alongside the expansion of labor protests in various cities in Iran. The dire situation of a labor activist in prison; Davood Razavi is on the verge of blindness. European labor unions have called for the release of three imprisoned labor and civil activists. The European Trade Union Confederation criticized the Islamic Republic's treatment of workers. The Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Anisha Asadollahi, a labor activist, to five years in prison. Protests over living conditions and pressure on union activists; a warning from Davood Razavi's lawyer about his health condition. A news agency close to the Islamic Republic's security agencies reported the arrest of contractors in South Pars.