Iranian Teachers' Union Protests Sentencing of 5 Teacher Activists to Prison

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions protested on Saturday, February 9, against the sentencing of five teacher activists in the provinces of Khuzestan and Alborz to prison in recent weeks. It was previously announced that Pirouz Nami, Ali Kouroshat, Siamak Sadeghi-Chehraz, and Ms. Koukb Badaghi-Pegah from Khuzestan were sentenced to six years in prison by the Third Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz, while Masoud Farhikhteh, a teacher activist in Alborz, was sentenced to six years in prison by the Second Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj. Additionally, Mr. Farhikhteh was sentenced to two years of travel ban, two years of prohibition from participating in groups and associations, and two years of restriction on movement in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz, Qazvin, Kurdistan, and Lorestan. The union stated regarding these prison sentences: 'This level of cost solely for trade union activities, primarily free education which serves the public good, is not only an injustice to these trade union activists and their families but also a dangerous indication that the issuers of these sentences have no understanding or calculation of the dangerous consequences.' The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions pointed out: 'The issuance of these sentences targets the true meaning of teaching and insults the awareness and intellect of society,' and demanded 'the complete annulment of these sentences and the acquittal of teachers in the appeals court.' In recent years, administrative, security, and judicial confrontations with teacher activists in Iran have intensified. These actions have faced severe criticism from labor and trade unions worldwide.