Opposition to Medical Leave for Aziz Qasemzadeh; Teachers Remain Under Pressure

The pressure from security institutions on cultural activists continues, with the security and judicial bodies of the Islamic Republic attempting to control the activities of cultural teachers through measures such as summoning teachers, using electronic ankle bracelets, and imposing restrictions in prison. In this context, the Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran announced on Thursday, April 5, that despite the end of Aziz Qasemzadeh's prison sentence, a singer and imprisoned teacher in Rasht, he was forced to return to prison. According to the report, Mr. Qasemzadeh, whose one-year prison sentence for 'propaganda against the regime' ended on April 5, should have been released from prison on March 6 of the previous year if the law regarding the aggregation and consideration of temporary detention days had been applied, but despite repeated follow-ups by his family and lawyers, this law was not applied to him. The council added that despite the fact that keeping Aziz Qasemzadeh in prison after this date is illegal, he had to return to prison on Thursday, April 5. Furthermore, it is reported that after new tests in the new year, there is a possibility of malignant lesions in the prostate of this imprisoned activist, and he must immediately take action for further treatment, but the prosecutor's office and the supervising deputy of the Lakan prison opposed his medical leave. Meanwhile, the Iranian teachers' union channel reported that with the beginning of the year 1403 and the end of the Nowruz holidays, the Islamic Republic has resumed its crackdown on teachers. Reports indicate that in the early days of this year, Mohammad Sadeghi, a retired teacher and cultural activist from Markazi province, was transferred to Arak prison on Tuesday, April 2, to serve a one-year sentence. The Iranian teachers' union wrote that Mr. Sadeghi had previously been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for 'collusion and conspiracy' and eight months for 'propaganda against the regime,' which was reduced to one year in the appeals court. Additionally, on the first day after the Nowruz holidays, Koukb Badaghi Pega, an activist from the teachers' union in Izeh and Khuzestan province, was summoned to the administrative violations committee. Reports indicate that Ms. Badaghi had previously been sentenced to one month of suspension from service by the Khuzestan administrative violations committee last August. Moreover, Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi, a veteran activist of the teachers' movement, who had been in prison for years, was fined 2 million tomans on April 2 for 'propaganda against the regime' and 'spreading falsehoods' based on Instagram posts and a complaint from the IRGC intelligence. On Thursday, April 3, also, Pirouz Nami, Siamak Sadeghi Chehraz, and Ali Kouroshati, activists from the teachers' union in Khuzestan province, were summoned to the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz. The Telegram channel of the Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran announced that these union activists have been arrested multiple times since 1400 due to fabricated cases by the IRGC and have faced new judicial cases each time. The trend of security and judicial actions by the Islamic Republic against teachers and their union activists has intensified since last year. These actions have drawn criticism from labor and teachers' unions worldwide. The spokesperson for the Iranian Teachers' Organization noted that recently, security concerns have added to the other problems faced by educators. Opposition to the second medical leave request of Reza Shahabi, despite his serious need for surgery, was also reported. The Iranian Teachers' Union condemned 'inhumane sentences' against union activists and women. Several labor and retirees' organizations stated that there is no option left but to take to the streets. The Islamic Republic's prison organization opposed the medical leave of Nasrin Javad, and a teachers' union organization in Iran reported that Jafar Ebrahimi remains imprisoned despite the end of his sentence. The teachers' unions expressed hope that the people's demands would be realized in the new year, as the judicial actions against teachers' union activists continue on the eve of Nowruz 1403.