Human Rights Watch: They talk of national unity while increasing pressure on teachers and workers

Human Rights Watch, in a statement released on Thursday, November 22, criticized the intensification of pressure on labor activists and teachers in Iran in recent weeks, emphasizing that peaceful protest and strikes are among the fundamental freedoms of workers. Michael Page, an official from Human Rights Watch, noted that while officials of the Islamic Republic have recently spoken about 'national unity and resistance against foreign pressure,' such statements are 'absurd' when they imprison labor activists and teachers for demanding fair wages. This international organization pointed out that in recent weeks, at least 12 teachers have been arrested and 30 have been summoned; Hashem Khasdar was taken to a psychiatric hospital for a period; all members of the labor representatives of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company were temporarily detained, and the detention of Ismail Bakhshi and Moslem Armend continues. Several teachers in Iran held a two-day sit-in last month in various cities, and the second round of this strike took place on November 13 and 14 at school offices. The aim of these sit-ins has been declared as a protest against the repression of labor activists and against the monetization of education in the country. Human Rights Watch also referred to the continued detention of other teacher activists, including Mohammad Habibi, Ismail Abdi, and Mahmoud Beheshti Langarudi. These three teachers and labor activists, who have been arrested multiple times in recent years, are currently imprisoned and have been sentenced to six years, six years, and five years of imprisonment, respectively, along with lashes. Their charges include 'gathering and colluding to disrupt public order,' 'gathering and colluding to commit a crime against national security,' and 'propaganda against the regime.' Human Rights Watch also highlighted the intensified pressure on labor activists, specifically mentioning the repression of workers at the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company. According to this international organization, last Sunday, all members of the labor representatives of this company, including Ismail Bakhshi and Moslem Armend, were arrested. Although two days later, the prosecutor of Shush announced the release of fifteen detainees, the detention of several of them continues. According to Farzaneh Zeylabi, the lawyer of the detained workers, in addition to the charge of 'disrupting public order,' judicial officials have also brought an 'unknown security charge' against her clients. Ms. Zeylabi stated that even the deputy prosecutor of the case does not have accurate information about this 'fabricated security charge.' The new wave of labor protests at Haft Tappeh began after news emerged about the fleeing or imprisonment of the private employer of this unit. According to Ali Ashraf Pouri Hosseini, head of the Privatization Organization, one of the owners of this company is in prison, and the other owner has fled. Human Rights Watch noted that Iran's labor law does not recognize the right to form independent labor unions, stating that in the past 13 years, officials of the Islamic Republic have 'repeatedly harassed, summoned, arrested, and convicted workers associated with independent labor unions.' The 'International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights' and the 'International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' support the right to form and join labor unions, and Iran is a member of both covenants.