Release of Reza Shahabi and Four Other Labor and Civil Activists in Tehran

Hours after the news of the arrest of Reza Shahabi and four other labor and civil activists, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company announced their release. Earlier, the Syndicate had reported the arrest of five labor and civil activists, including Reza Shahabi and Hassan Saidi, by security forces. According to reports on the morning of Tuesday, December 20, these individuals were arrested the previous night and transferred to an unknown location. The Telegram channel of the Free Workers Union of Iran wrote that along with Shahabi and Saidi, Amir Abbas Azarmvand, Roham Yeganeh, and Keyvan Mohtadi were also arrested in Tehran. The reason for the arrest of these labor activists and defenders of workers' rights has not yet been disclosed. The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company and the Free Workers Union of Iran condemned the arrest of these five individuals, calling for their immediate and unconditional release along with all labor activists. The Telegram channel of the Free Workers Union of Iran also reported the continuation of the strike and gathering of the National Steel Group workers for the 24th day with the slogan 'Heiyat Men Al-Dhalleh.' According to this report, these workers gathered in front of the National Bank's headquarters in Ahvaz, and a number of workers from Tehran also gathered in support of them and in protest against the continued detention of Ismail Bakshi, representative of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company workers, Ali Bakshi, a labor activist, and Sepideh Gholian, a journalist supporting labor gatherings, in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. The Ahvaz steel workers are protesting against 'non-payment of wages and the indifference of factory managers in providing raw materials for the start of production.' According to the protesters, while these problems continue, workers have been continuously gathering in front of various government institutions in Khuzestan province for over a month due to the failure of officials to fulfill their promises regarding wage payments and arrears. In recent months, labor protests in Iran, especially in Khuzestan province, have entered a new phase with the long-term strike and gatherings of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company workers. These gatherings, along with the strike of several teachers in various cities of Iran in protest against living conditions, have received support from groups of students from several Iranian universities, including Amir Kabir, Kermanshah, and Nourshiri Babol. These gatherings at Amir Kabir University in Tehran turned violent due to the intervention of student Basij forces. The Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company announced last week that Ismail Bakshi, the representative of the workers of this company, and Sepideh Gholian, a civil activist, have been 'severely beaten and are under severe mental and physical pressure.' A new case has also been opened against Ismail Bakshi. Today, Bakshi's defense attorney, who is in detention, announced the formation of a new case for his client in Branch 12 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Ahvaz. Farzaneh Zilabi, in an interview with IRNA about Bakshi's case, said that in addition to two charges filed in the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office of Shush County under the titles of 'disturbing public order' and 'gathering and colluding against national security,' a case with the charge of 'participation in forming a group aimed at disrupting security' has also been opened against him. Regarding the latest status of Ali Najati's case, a member of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company Syndicate, she added: 'Although it was reported that my client was summoned to serve a previous sentence, further inquiries revealed that two cases with multiple charges are currently pending against my client.' This attorney added that Najati's first case involves the charge of 'disturbing public order by leading the flow of gatherings and strikes of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company' in Branch 3 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Andimeshk, and the second case involves 'security' charges in Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Shush, which is also under investigation. Najati's attorney warned that his client 'has a heart condition and the detention environment is difficult and dangerous for him.'