Younes Azadbar, Labor Activist in Gilan, Charged with 'Moharebeh'

Younes Azadbar, a retired telecommunications worker and labor activist in Gilan province, has been charged with 'Moharebeh, propaganda against the regime, and membership in opposition groups.' According to labor and professional organizations, Mr. Azadbar was informed of his charges on Thursday, September 9, in the first branch of the public and revolutionary prosecutor's office in Sangar, without the presence of his lawyers, Ramin Safarnia and Qasem Bozorgzadeh. He is a founding member of the Gas and Telecommunications Workers' Union of Gilan province. In this regard, the HRANA news agency reported, citing a source close to Younes Azadbar's family, that he was 'transferred from Lakan prison in Rasht to the first branch of the public and revolutionary prosecutor's office in Sangar without prior notice and with the use of violence.' The source stated, 'Despite the registration of Mr. Azadbar's defense lawyers' names in his legal system, they have not yet been allowed to review the details of their client's case.' According to this report, 'there is still no information available regarding the specifics of Mr. Azadbar's charges.' HRANA reported that Younes Azadbar, who suffers from epilepsy and gastrointestinal issues, was arrested by the IRGC intelligence agents at his home in Sangar on July 19 of this year. After eight days of detention, he informed his family in a phone call about his transfer to the Mithaq section of Lakan prison in Rasht. Younes Azadbar is sixty years old and has a history of judicial confrontations due to his labor activities. Several labor and professional organizations have emphasized that he requires medical attention outside of prison due to his illnesses. In recent years, alongside the intensification of economic problems, especially for workers, retirees, teachers, and other wage earners, security and judicial confrontations with labor and professional activists have increased. Currently, several of these activists are imprisoned on security charges, including Reza Shahabi, Davood Razavi, Hassan Saeedi, Nasrin Javadi, Ismail Abdi, Rasoul Badaqi, Jafar Ebrahimi, Arash Jouhari, Keyvan Mohtadi, Kamyar Fakour, Anisha Asadollahi, Mehran Raouf, Nahid Taghavi, Sarvaneh Ahmadi, and Rafiq Salimi. Additionally, the Free Workers' Union of Iran stated in a letter sent to international labor unions on August 21 that a large number of workers, teachers, and labor activists have been arrested in recent months and years and are currently temporarily released on bail. According to this letter, these activists have either been sentenced to prison or have open judicial cases, and there is a constant risk of imprisonment against them. These security and judicial confrontations have led to widespread protests from human rights, labor, and professional organizations worldwide, yet they have not prevented the expansion of labor and professional protests in Iran.