World Federation of Education: Mohammad Habibi and imprisoned labor activists must be released

The World Federation of Education strongly condemned the arrest of Mohammad Habibi, spokesperson for the Teachers' Guild of Tehran, and other labor activists, emphasizing the necessity of supporting students and pupils in Iran, and called for their immediate release. The federation urged the international community to take action in support of the rights of teachers and students in Iran. In its statement, Mohammad Habibi is introduced as a resilient and prominent figure in the Iranian teachers' movement who has stood against the ongoing repression of the Islamic Republic. The World Federation of Education reminded that Mr. Habibi, as the spokesperson for the Teachers' Guild of Tehran, continued to support students, especially regarding the issue of serial poisonings in girls' schools, during the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, despite severe repression that led to the deaths of over 90 children. The statement notes that Mohammad Habibi was dismissed from his teaching job in 2023 due to his labor activities and continuous efforts to improve the conditions of teachers, and his six-month prison sentence is set to be executed starting Sunday, November 11 of this year. Ramin Safarnia Kheshtani, lawyer for Mohammad Habibi, announced on Tuesday, November 6, that his client was summoned to the execution office in Shahriar County to serve his prison sentence. In response to this summons, the Coordinating Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran wrote: 'Mohammad Habibi is going to prison while the perpetrators and instigators of the serial poisonings have never been identified.' In recent years, Mohammad Habibi has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times for his labor activities and defense of the rights of teachers and students. This is the fifth time this labor activist has been imprisoned. The World Federation of Education also mentioned in part of its statement the arrest of 'Ahoo Daryayi,' a young student, and her transfer to a psychiatric hospital, which has drawn international attention. Amnesty International has called for her immediate release and investigation into reported abuses during her detention. The repeated summons of Pirouz Nami, a labor activist for teachers in Khuzestan, to the Revolutionary Court, the Ministry of Education's ban on 'reading philosophical books and having mustaches,' a gathering of retired educators in Shiraz; the rising dollar price and a retired person's account of selling meat in installments, the Free Union of Iranian Workers: the freedom-seeking of teachers, university professors, and youth cannot be suppressed, and criticism from teachers' trade unions in Iran regarding the security and judicial actions against Mohammad Habibi and Ismail Abdi.