Reza Shahabi, Imprisoned Worker, Transferred to Hospital Due to Deteriorating Health Condition

Reza Shahabi, an imprisoned worker and member of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate, was transferred to Imam Khomeini Hospital on Saturday, June 9, due to severe pain, numbness, and immobility in his right toes. A specialist doctor, after examination, suggested a severe possibility of spinal canal stenosis and disc herniation, ordering an MRI and complete rest. Shahabi had previously suffered from severe neck, left arm, and back pain and had requested to be sent to a forensic doctor. The Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate expressed concern over the health condition of this labor activist and called for his immediate release. Earlier in June, Shahabi, along with Davood Razavi, another imprisoned member of the board of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate, criticized the International Labour Organization (ILO) for its negligence regarding the violation of workers' rights in Iran in an open letter to representatives of global labor organizations at the 112th ILO meeting. These two labor activists accused the ILO of indifference towards the suppression of independent labor organizations and the increase of child labor in Iran, referencing the lack of effective action by the ILO regarding a complaint filed by the Bus Workers' Syndicate 19 years ago. Shahabi and Razavi, who were arrested in 2022 and sentenced to prison on security charges, also criticized the ILO for continuing to invite 'fake representatives of the government posing as representatives of Iranian workers' to the annual conference and their membership in the board and labor committees. Osman Ismaili, a jailed labor activist, has been granted medical leave on a one billion tomans bail. International Workers' Day occurs amid dire economic conditions; labor organizations state that organizing for change is essential. Threats against imprisoned labor activists in Evin Prison coincide with International Workers' Day; the publication of statements is prohibited.