Continued Judicial Actions Against Teachers; Head of Khuzestan Teachers' Union Summoned

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions reported that Pirouz Nami, a board member and secretary of the Khuzestan Teachers' Union, has been summoned to the criminal court in Ahvaz. The council previously stated that Atekeh Rajabi, a teachers' union activist, has also been summoned to the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mashhad. The summons of these two teachers' union activists is part of ongoing administrative, security, and judicial actions against teachers and their union activists. According to the report, Pirouz Nami has been summoned with accusations including 'spreading falsehoods, propaganda against the regime, and participating in illegal gatherings' to the criminal court in Ahvaz. It is noted that Mr. Nami was recently acquitted of these charges along with other members of the Khuzestan Union. The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions also reported that Atekeh Rajabi was scheduled to appear in the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mashhad on Saturday, August 14. This teachers' union activist previously refrained from attending her school in protest against the 'murder and detention of children' and went on strike, which led to her dismissal by the Ministry of Education's disciplinary board. Three days ago, she tweeted: 'In 1400, I achieved job security. If independence is a priority in your life, you understand what job security means. It seems they are summoning me and asking for commitments lately??? I wanted to say that madness hasn't come to me, and momentary emotions haven't provoked me to give up on the job I have pursued for a lifetime. The knife has reached my bone. I remain firm in my decision and will not turn back on the path I have taken.' Previously, Atekeh Rajabi was arrested by intelligence agents on the morning of May 19 while on her way to participate in a teachers' protest in front of the Education Department in Mashhad and was released on bail of 1.5 billion tomans after five days. The Coordination Council condemned 'these baseless accusations' and reiterated the legal right to form unions and the freedom of legal gatherings, considering it a fundamental principle of citizens. The council also condemned the fabrication of cases against union activists. According to the Telegram channel of this trade union, currently, several teachers and their union activists are imprisoned on security charges, including Hashem Khashtar, Rasoul Badaghi, Jafar Ebrahimi, Ismail Abdi, Asghar Amirzadegan, and Nahid Shirpish. Other imprisoned educators include Maryam Jalal Hosseini, Fatemeh Tadrisi, Zeinab Hamrang, Havad Laleh Mohammadi, Farzaneh Nazaranpour, Mahmoud Malaki, Aziz Qasemzadeh, Mahmoud Sedighi Pour, Anoush Adeli, Omid Shah Mohammadi, Hossein Ramadanpour, and Mehdi Fathi. Meanwhile, several other teachers and their union activists are temporarily free on heavy bails, while some have received prison sentences, such as Sara Siyahpour, who was sentenced to six years in prison and two years of travel ban. Recently, several teachers' union activists launched a '100,000 Signature Campaign' demanding 'the freedom of imprisoned teachers, the removal of security charges against union activists, and the holding of public trials with a jury.' So far, the number of signatories to this campaign has reached over 21,500. This campaign has received support from labor unions and retirees, teachers' associations, and the Iranian Teachers' Organization.