The Case of Ismail Bakhtiari: From 'We Cannot Intervene' to 'The System Has the Right to Complain'

After several weeks of protests by workers of the Haft Tappeh Company over unpaid wages, several protesting workers, including Ismail Bakhtiari, one of the representatives of the Haft Tappeh workers, were arrested in late November. While some detainees were released within a week, Bakhtiari's detention lasted at least two more weeks. During his detention, officials from the Ministry of Labor stated that they could not pursue the matter due to its security nature. Reports of Bakhtiari being beaten and tortured emerged during this time. Although the prosecutor of Shush denied the allegations of torture, Bakhtiari himself reported after his release that he had been beaten and tortured to the extent that he could not move for 72 hours in his cell, and the pain was so severe that even sleeping was agonizing. Bakhtiari stated that agents from the Ministry of Intelligence were beating him and his colleague Sepideh Gholian while using various forms of sexual insults, and his family was also under surveillance. The issue of Bakhtiari's arrest and his statements about his torture during detention provoked various reactions among government and judicial officials. Although the government of Hassan Rouhani has denied the allegations of torture and claims its right to sue Bakhtiari, Gholian, who was detained alongside Bakhtiari, has expressed her willingness to testify about her and Bakhtiari's torture in a fair court. Less than a week after Bakhtiari's arrest, ILNA reported that the Ministry of Labor could not intervene in the case due to its security nature. Karim Yavari, the director of job support at the Ministry of Labor, stated that the continuation of the detention of the worker who has not been released is a security matter, and the Ministry of Labor cannot intervene. Bakhtiari was eventually released on December 21, but after detailing the conditions of his detention, he called for the Minister of Intelligence to be held accountable for his torture. On January 6, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy and spokesperson of the Iranian judiciary, said that if Bakhtiari files a complaint regarding his torture during detention, the prosecutor would intervene. He also mentioned that if the Ministry of Intelligence sees any violations in this regard, it should report them to the judiciary. One day after Ejei's remarks, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, responded to Bakhtiari's statements, emphasizing that such issues are very important to them as the Islamic Republic has never intended such violations, which are considered forbidden both religiously and legally. He ordered the Attorney General to send an independent committee to Khuzestan to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, Bakhtiari's lawyer reported that he was under pressure from various individuals to retract his statements about torture. Although Farzaneh Zilabi, Bakhtiari's lawyer, did not specify who was exerting this pressure, the independent channel of Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers reported that Bakhtiari and his family were under continuous and severe pressure from security forces to deny his statements. On January 19, Mahmoud Vaezi, head of Hassan Rouhani's office, announced that following the Minister of Intelligence's report regarding Bakhtiari, it was determined that his torture claims were 'not true at all.' He added that 'the right to file a complaint is reserved for the Ministry of Intelligence and the system' against Bakhtiari.