Judiciary of West Azerbaijan Defends Whipping of 17 Workers from Agh Dareh Mine

Simultaneously with the promise of the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare to work towards preventing incidents like the whipping of 17 dismissed workers from Agh Dareh gold mine, the Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan Province stated that those punished were, in his description, disruptors of public order and security. Recently, the news of the whipping of 17 dismissed workers from Agh Dareh mine in West Azerbaijan Province has received widespread attention in Iran. According to ILNA news agency, citing Vahid Yari, the lawyer representing these workers, the punishment of whipping for the accused ranged from 30 to 100 lashes. The charges against these workers included 'preventing and hindering people from conducting business by creating noise and chaos,' 'insulting the company's guard,' 'illegally seizing the guard's clothing,' and 'intentionally destroying the company's sign' in December 2014. Rabiei: I was aware from the beginning According to ILNA, Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, in a note referring to the fact that he was previously aware of the issues of the Agh Dareh mine workers, wrote that he had instructed his deputy for labor relations to make every effort for reconciliation. He noted that the employer of Pouya Zarkan Company and the guards of this company had filed complaints against the 17 mine workers, adding: 'Fortunately, with the efforts made, the complaints were dropped, and we were relieved. However, hearing the news of the whipping punishment, due to disruption of public order, especially in a mine far from the city, was thought-provoking and made me very sorry.' In his note, Ali Rabiei posed the question of whether the working community empathizes with the issuer and executor of the whipping sentence or sympathizes with the workers who protested due to the hardships of livelihood and not receiving their rights. He wrote that labor disputes should be resolved through tripartism, negotiations, and forgiveness. He also pointed out that the term 'disruption of public order,' for which the 17 Agh Dareh mine workers were accused, does not help strengthen public order as it encompasses any labor protest and turns it into a social issue. In the end, Rabiei expressed sympathy for the whipped workers and said: 'If it is believed that I have been at fault in this matter, I will be forgiven.' Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan: We supported the workers On the other hand, according to the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, Tavakkol Heydari, the Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan Province, accused the 17 whipped workers of being, according to him, disruptors of public order and security. In recent years, a large number of workers and labor activists have been arrested and tried in courts for actions against national security or disruption of order and similar charges, and in many cases, they have been sentenced to prison. This judicial official described the protests and criticisms regarding the implementation of whipping sentences for the 17 workers as claims and propaganda, stating that a group of local residents from the village near Agh Dareh mine and some seasonal workers suspended due to problems with the mine gathered in front of it. Tavakkol Heydari mentioned that this group prevented the night shift workers from leaving the mine and the morning shift workers from entering. He added: 'After a 10-hour gathering and discussions, some dispersed, but a few remained in front of the mine and continued their gathering. They then rushed toward the mine, destroyed the mine's sign and the guard booth, harmed the guard, and disrupted public order with specific slogans, and were dispersed by security and law enforcement measures.' The Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan further referred to the gathering as illegal, stating that those he described as the organizers and directors of it had been identified and referred to the judiciary. This judicial official also denied reports regarding the implementation of the whipping sentence against the 17 workers, saying that for 9 individuals, a sentence of imprisonment and whipping was issued, and their imprisonment was pardoned by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. This comes while Fars news agency reported a few days ago, citing a labor activist, that several of these workers had been sent to prison. The Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan also stated that the judiciary of West Azerbaijan Province supported the workers and employment and production in this matter, adding that the whipped workers 'had obstructed the mine's operations, and we also provided implicit support for the workers.' Tavakkol Heydari accused critics of, according to him, disturbing the minds of the public and responsible officials, threatening that disturbing public opinion is a criminal act under the law. These remarks were made while two members of parliament had criticized the whipping of the 17 dismissed workers from Agh Dareh mine and stated that they would pursue the matter in parliament. Among them, Jahanbakhsh Mohbiniya, a representative from Miyandoab, Shahin Dezh, and Takab, announced that he would follow up on the issue to ensure serious action against the perpetrators. Previously, according to ILNA, the director-general of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of West Azerbaijan Province was dismissed about two weeks after the whipping of these workers and the news of it due to what was called ignorance of the matter, by the order of Ali Rabiei. Meanwhile, the newspaper Javan reported on Tuesday, criticizing the judiciary's performance in issuing and executing whipping sentences, also held the Ministry of Interior responsible. The Ministry of Interior is recognized as responsible while Nader Qazipour, a representative from Urmia, told the Basij news agency that the Takab governor emphasized the execution of the whipping sentence. The Ministry of Interior has remained silent on this matter. 'Heavy consequences' of executing whipping sentences against workers In this context, Faramarz Tofighi, an advisor to the Supreme Assembly of Workers' Representatives, in an interview with Fars news agency pointed out that the execution of the whipping sentence against the 17 Agh Dareh workers has had, in his description, 'very heavy consequences' and has led to 'widespread protests within the working community.' According to reports, so far, the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, the Center for the Defense of Workers' Rights, the Coordination Committee for the Help of Establishing Labor Organizations, the Free Workers' Union of Iran, the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran, and the Council of Islamic Labor Organizations of the country, as well as the Iranian Writers' Association have protested against the whipping of the 17 dismissed workers. These protests have been expressed while the 105th session of the International Labor Organization has begun working since Tuesday. According to one labor activist in an interview with Radio Farda, Iran is expected to present its performance regarding periodic reports to the International Labor Organization.