Letter to the International Labour Organization; 'Help Free Labour Activists'

The Free Workers' Union of Iran, in a letter to Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, urged him to ask the responsible authorities of the Islamic Republic to issue 'an unconditional release order for imprisoned labour activists, including Jafar Azimzadeh and Parvin Mohammadi.' Mr. Azimzadeh, the chairman of the board, and Ms. Mohammadi, the vice-chairman of the Free Workers' Union of Iran, were arrested two weeks ago in Pardis, Karaj. According to reports, Mr. Azimzadeh was detained to serve a six-year prison sentence and is currently in Evin Prison. Ms. Mohammadi was also transferred to Evin Prison after her arrest. The Free Workers' Union of Iran pointed out that Ms. Mohammadi's arrest was made without any evidence or justification, and since her transfer to Evin Prison, she has not been allowed to meet or even contact her family. According to this report, Ms. Mohammadi's family is completely unaware of her situation, and the officials at Evin Prosecutor's Office, as described by the Free Workers' Union of Iran, are indifferent to their inquiries and the inquiries of other union members regarding her status. In its letter to the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, the Free Workers' Union of Iran used the phrase 'a new wave of repression against workers' to describe the current situation in Iran. This labour organization noted that prior to the arrest of Jafar Azimzadeh and Parvin Mohammadi, and following the strikes of workers at Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company and Ahvaz Steel, security agencies detained a large number of Haft Tappeh workers, including Ismail Bakshi and Ali Nejati, as well as over 40 workers from Ahvaz Steel. The Free Workers' Union of Iran added that 'legal cases have been opened against many other workers, and there is a possibility of prison sentences for them.' This labour organization wrote that the security forces' assaults on workers occur while the Iranian government continually sends representatives from the state-run House of Workers to meetings of the International Labour Organization and hypocritically conceals the dire situation of workers from that organization. The Free Workers' Union of Iran also stated that workers in Iran are not allowed to form their own organizations, writing: 'Workers who attempt to establish their own labour organizations to pursue their demands face the harshest repression.' In this context, in recent years, many workers and labour activists have been dismissed from their jobs on security charges or have received prison and flogging sentences. Typically, officials of the Islamic Republic reject these criticisms and emphasize what they call interaction with labour organizations. However, such statements have been rejected by human rights organizations and labour unions worldwide. In its letter, the Free Workers' Union of Iran also accused the Iranian government of 'showing the slightest disregard for workers' rights and attempting to prevent workers' voices from reaching the International Labour Organization by providing false reports to global forums.' Other criticisms by the Free Workers' Union of Iran against the officials of the Islamic Republic relate to their refusal to sign conventions regarding workers' freedom of association and collective bargaining. In recent days, labour unions and syndicates in France, Sweden, and Canada, as well as Amnesty International, have strongly criticized the detention of workers and labour activists in Iran and called for their release.