New Charges Filed Against Three Imprisoned Labor Activists; Syndicate of the Tehran Bus Company Condemns It

The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company condemned the new charges filed against Reza Shahabi and Hassan Saidi, two imprisoned members of this syndicate, and Keyvan Mohtadi, a labor activist and translator for the syndicate. This labor organization announced that the details of the case are still unclear and reported that it has been referred to the prosecutor's office of Evin Court. According to the report, Evin prison officials intended to transfer these three imprisoned labor activists to the Evin prosecutor's office for this new case on Tuesday, June 8, but they opposed being handcuffed and wearing prison clothes. As a result, they were not transferred to the prosecutor's office. The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company pointed out that Mr. Saidi, Shahabi, and Mohtadi have been unjustly imprisoned for over a year and condemned the fabrication of charges against them. These three labor activists were arrested last year along with several other labor activists and teachers, including Rasoul Badaghi, following a meeting with Cecile Couleur, a French labor activist, and Jacques Paris, her husband. Ms. Couleur and Mr. Paris have been accused of espionage, while the labor activists and teachers have been accused of having connections with foreign forces aimed at overthrowing the regime. Additionally, the organization 'Education International' has called on the Islamic Republic to release the two French citizens. However, these activists, their families, and labor and teacher organizations have rejected these accusations. They have emphasized that meetings with labor activists from other countries are legal, citing the conventions of the International Labor Organization, of which Iran is a member. Many labor unions and syndicates around the world have condemned these arrests and called for the unconditional release of those detained. Protests over living conditions and pressure on labor activists; lawyer Davood Razavi warns about the health status of the imprisoned. Five French labor syndicates express support for Iranian workers. Increased pressure on labor and syndicate activists; Maziar Seyednejad summoned to prison. The Canadian labor organization calls for the charges against labor activists in Iran to be dropped. Continued pressure on political prisoners; Reza Shahabi lacks access to medical facilities. The Teachers' Association of Hamadan states that the path of teachers' rights will not be diverted by 'scenario-making.' The Iranian Writers' Association: the fabrication of charges against activists is a sign of 'government fear.' The Teachers' Syndicate: the report by state media about activists is a worn-out scenario.