Temporary Release of Sirous Fathi, Labor Activist in Rasht

The Coordination Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations announced that Sirous Fathi, a labor activist, was released from Lakan Prison in Rasht on Thursday, June 21, after securing a bail. Sirous Fathi was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on June 11 and was interrogated by the Rasht Intelligence Department during this time. The reason for the arrest of this labor activist has not been disclosed so far. Nevertheless, Mr. Fathi, who had been following the situation of his wife, Sharifeh Mohammadi, since her arrest on December 5, 2023, has repeatedly faced threats from security agents and judicial harassment. The campaign "Free Sharifeh Mohammadi" reported after Sirous Fathi's arrest, citing an informed source, that Aydin Fathi, the child of these two labor activists, suffered panic and a nervous breakdown during his father's violent arrest. Sharifeh Mohammadi has also been in temporary detention since her arrest. The court for this labor activist was held on June 10 in Rasht, and he was accused of having connections with a political organization, a claim his wife denied. Previously, several labor organizations in Iran had issued statements calling for the release of Sharifeh Mohammadi and her husband, Sirous Fathi, two imprisoned labor activists in Rasht. Among them, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company condemned the arrest of workers and labor activists as "baseless accusations and harassment of their families" and demanded the "immediate and unconditional release of Sharifeh Mohammadi, Sirous Fathi, and other imprisoned workers and civil activists." The Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane also condemned the continued detention of Sharifeh Mohammadi and her husband, Sirous Fathi, calling for their "immediate and unconditional release" and that of "other imprisoned workers." In recent years, as the economic situation for workers and other wage earners has worsened, the Islamic Republic's security and judicial crackdowns on labor activists, teachers, and retirees have intensified. Currently, several labor activists, teachers, and retirees are imprisoned on security charges, while others are free on bail. Among those imprisoned are Reza Shahabi, Hassan Saidi, Davood Razavi, Rasoul Badaghi, Reza Aghdasi, Nahid Khodajoo, Anisha Asadollahi, Keyvan Mohtadi, Reyhaneh Ansarinezhaad, Sarvaneh Ahmadi, Nasrin Javadi, Zeinab Hamrang, Mehran Raouf, and Maziar Seyednejad. Sirous Fathi, a labor activist, in the detention center of the Gilan Intelligence Department, called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of Reza Shahabi, a imprisoned labor activist. Amnesty International has called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of Reza Shahabi, a imprisoned labor activist. The International Confederation of Trade Unions stated that labor rights are not respected in Iran. Officials at Evin Prison "prevent treatment and the issuance of a non-custodial sentence" for Reza Aghdasi.