Court Session for Ismail Gerami Held on Charges of 'Participating in Pensioners' Gatherings'

The court session addressing the charges against Ismail Gerami, a labor and pensioners' rights activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, was held at the 'Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran' presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. According to the Harana news website, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, Zahra Rouhzad, Ismail Gerami's wife, announced that during this session, Judge Afshari accepted part of Mr. Gerami's defense and deemed some of the charges unfounded. Mrs. Rouhzad added, 'Now we must wait for the verdict issued by the court.' An informed source told Harana that the main charges against Ismail Gerami include conspiracy against national security and disturbing public order, with his participation in pensioners' gatherings cited as evidence of these charges. Previously, on August 8, security forces searched Ismail Gerami's residence and confiscated some of his personal belongings, including a laptop, mobile phone, and national ID card. Ismail Gerami was summoned to the 'Shahid Moqaddas' prosecutor's office (Evin) and was arrested on August 21 after appearing at the prosecutor's office, subsequently being transferred to the quarantine section of Evin Prison. After a few days, he was moved to section four of Evin Prison. Additionally, in July of this year, Ismail Gerami was sentenced to pay a fine by Branch 1027 of the Tehran Criminal Court. Ismail Gerami, a labor rights activist, has a history of arrest and imprisonment due to his union activities in recent years. In recent months, he has repeatedly criticized the policies of the Islamic Republic regarding workers and pensioners in notes published on the Telegram channels of union organizations. In one note, he stated that officials say pensioners should go home, 'curl up in sorrow,' and 'pray and curse' while 'crying for their poverty and misery,' and he declared, 'We will go to the streets until we get our rights. Victory is ours.' According to recent years' trends, the security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic condemns labor activists, teachers, and pensioners to imprisonment and other penalties by bringing such charges against them. These actions have faced widespread criticism from labor and professional unions worldwide.