Education International and the International Confederation of Trade Unions: The Iranian Government Must Release Labor Activists

The Education International Federation and the International Confederation of Trade Unions have jointly filed a complaint against the Islamic Republic with a committee of the International Labour Organization (ILO), demanding the unconditional release of 14 prominent members of the teachers' movement and labor organizations who are illegally imprisoned. According to the Coordination Council of Iranian Cultural Associations, these two trade organizations also registered an official complaint with the ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association, requesting the Secretary-General of the organization to compel the Iranian government to unconditionally release these labor activists. Among those detained in recent years on security charges are Rasoul Badaghi, Jafar Barahimi, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, Reza Shahabi, Davood Razavi, Hassan Saidi, Reyhaneh Ansari Nejad, Hashem Khwastaar, and Keyvan Mohtadi. The Education International Federation also expressed deep concern over the prolonged detention of Cecile Couler and Jacques Paris, members of the National Federation of Educational and Cultural Workers of France. According to the report, security agents of the Islamic Republic illegally detained these two teachers in Tehran on May 6, 2022, and imprisoned them under conditions that undoubtedly constitute torture. Ms. Couler and Mr. Paris were arrested after meeting with several labor activists and teachers in Tehran. Subsequently, the Islamic Republic's television broadcast a film of this meeting in a restaurant, and the Arabic-language network 'Al-Alam', affiliated with the Islamic Republic's radio and television, announced on October 6 of the previous year that they had traveled to Iran to prepare for a 'revolution and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic' by airing 'forced confessions' from these two French citizens. The detention of these two and other labor activists and Iranian teachers has led to widespread criticism from labor unions and teachers worldwide. They emphasized that meetings of union activists between countries are legal, referring to the ILO conventions signed by Iran. The Education International Federation and the International Confederation of Trade Unions stressed that detained teachers and labor activists have been pursued, tortured, and subjected to heavy judicial sentences for demanding their basic rights, including the right to organize, freedom of expression, and the right to hold protest gatherings. They also urged the Iranian government to take immediate action to release prisoners and fulfill the demands of labor and union activists in line with its international commitments and continued membership in the ILO. The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran Bus Company criticized security officials for opposing Reza Shahabi's medical leave. Nahid Khodajoo, a labor activist, was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison. Evin officials prevented Davood Razavi from being sent to the hospital 'on the pretext of not wearing prison clothes.' The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran Bus Company warned that the health conditions of three of its imprisoned members are critical. The pressure from the government on educators in Iran continues; three teacher union activists have been arrested. Reyhaneh Ansari Nejad was transferred to Evin Prison to serve a four-year prison sentence, and Hashem Khwastaar, a detained teacher, was tried again.