Reza Shahabi Arrested and Released Again

Reza Shahabi, a labor activist and member of the board of the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was arrested while visiting the passport office and was released after nearly two hours. ILNA news agency reported that Mr. Shahabi was detained on Wednesday afternoon (April 15) while attempting to obtain his passport. Initially, the news agency was unaware of the reason for Shahabi's arrest, but later reported, citing friends of the labor activist, that his arrest was related to his 'exit ban.' Shahabi, who was arrested at 2 PM, was released after being transferred to the Evin Prosecutor's Office at 3:40 PM. The issue of Shahabi's exit ban arises despite the fact that he was released from Evin Prison on the night of March 13, 2018. Shahabi was arrested by security forces in June 2010 and subsequently sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Court to five years in prison, six years of prohibition from union activities, and a fine of seven million tomans for security-related charges. However, according to the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Campaign to Defend Reza Shahabi, Evin Prison officials informed him that his release order was issued based on the law of aggregation of sentences. Shahabi was also told that he would be prohibited from union activities and participation in parties and groups for two years. It remains unclear whether the exit ban had been communicated to him. In recent years, Shahabi has undergone two surgeries on his neck and back due to what the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company described as 'physical injuries caused by the violent treatment of security forces during his arrest and interrogation,' and his medical leave was gradually approved by forensic medicine until the end of his imprisonment. After being imprisoned again in August 2017, this labor activist went on a 50-day hunger strike demanding his release, which he ended after a promise from a 'high-ranking security official' and requests from his family, colleagues, and labor organizations in Iran and worldwide. This occurred despite Shahabi suffering two strokes in recent months, and according to a specialist doctor at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, his body could not withstand imprisonment. Nevertheless, judicial officials had only recently transferred Shahabi from Rajai Shahr Prison to Evin Prison, and according to labor organizations, no action had been taken regarding his release or treatment for his illnesses. This situation has drawn severe criticism from labor organizations, international labor unions, and human rights organizations, which have repeatedly called for his release.