International Confederation of Trade Unions Calls for Immediate Release of Reza Shahabi

Sharon Barrow, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Trade Unions, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Reza Shahabi, a imprisoned board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company. Mr. Shahabi has been on a hunger strike for 12 days. Ms. Barrow referred to what she called 'torture' and 'inadequate treatment' of Reza Shahabi in prison over recent years, adding that this labor activist was granted medical leave. However, his request for an extension of his medical leave was rejected by the Tehran prosecutor's office. According to the letter addressed to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, Reza Shahabi was forced to return to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, where he learned that the time he spent on medical leave was considered an absence, and he must serve an additional 968 days in prison. This is while, according to a statement from the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, 'the prosecutor's claim of five months' absence from Shahabi's six-year prison sentence' is contradicted by the fact that he had seen 'a letter of release and completion of his six-year sentence dated September 9, 2015, in his prison file' upon returning to prison. The General Secretary of the International Confederation of Trade Unions also wrote that Mr. Shahabi joined the hunger strike in response to the 'inhumane conditions' in Rajai Shahr Prison. Sharon Barrow noted that imprisoning Reza Shahabi contradicts Iran's international commitments, stating that the detention of labor activists for their activities in defense of workers' fundamental rights constitutes a serious violation of civil liberties overall, and union rights specifically. The letter also mentioned that the Committee on the Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization (ILO) had requested the Iranian government this summer to lift the prison sentence against Reza Shahabi and stated that he should not remain in prison any longer. Furthermore, this committee called for an independent investigation into the inadequate treatment of this labor activist in prison. The General Secretary of the International Confederation of Trade Unions expressed serious concern over the failure to implement the recommendations of the ILO's Committee on the Freedom of Association and the lifting of Reza Shahabi's prison sentence, as well as the health status of him and other imprisoned activists including Hassan Sadeghi, Saeed Masouri, Reza Akbari Monfared, Amir Ghaziani, Abolghasem Fooladvand, and Jafar Aghdami. Other prisoners reportedly on hunger strike, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, include Zanyar Moradi, Luqman Moradi, Saeed Shirzad, and Shahin Zoghi Tabar. This hunger strike began about three weeks ago, and this group of prisoners is protesting the violation of their rights, including 'deprivation of daily outdoor exercise', 'poor ventilation', 'presence of surveillance cameras', and 'incomplete return of personal belongings'. Ms. Barrow urged President Hassan Rouhani to inform the International Confederation of Trade Unions as soon as possible about the steps and actions taken for the immediate and unconditional release of Reza Shahabi. The International Confederation of Trade Unions operates in 162 countries and has 181 million members. Previously, the International Transport Workers' Federation expressed its serious concern regarding the imprisonment of Reza Shahabi, a board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company. Additionally, five national labor unions in France condemned the detention of Reza Shahabi and called for his immediate release. The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company has also issued two statements demanding the release of their imprisoned board member. Moreover, Amnesty International has expressed concern over Reza Shahabi's health status. Iranian judicial authorities have not responded to the protests regarding the re-imprisonment of Reza Shahabi.