1. A government from the Middle Ages which still executes individuals for 'enmity against god' or 'morality crimes', 'acts incompatible with chastity', stones people to death for having sex and has executed over 100,000 people in two decades cannot at the same time profess 'democracy in Iran is transparent and for everyone, compared with Western democracy that has overt and covert limitations,' This has been said by Khamenei, whose title is the Supreme Spiritual Leader no less!
2. Any political party opposed to the government is banned and their members either killed, in exile or clandestinely active with great risk to themselves. Article 26 of the constitution states: 'The formation of parties, societies, political or professional associations …is permitted provided they do not violate the principles of independence, freedom, national unity, the criteria of Islam, or the basis of the Islamic republic.' This goes to show how superficial labels of reformist, moderate, conservative and so on are in Iranian politics. All those running support and will maintain repression and theocracy.
3. In Iran, there is no freedom of association and organisation that is necessary for a fair election. Article 27 of the constitution states that 'public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided … that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.' This is pretty difficult when you consider the anti-Islamic backlash and strong anti-government sentiments amongst the majority of people.
4. In Iran, there is no freedom of the press and expression. Article 24 of the constitution clearly stipulates: 'publications and the press have freedom of expression except when it is detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam or the rights of the public.' The regime keeps closing down press affiliated with itself so you can imagine what it does to independent and free-thinking press and expression.
5. A lot has been said about the fact that only a few of the many candidates were approved to run in today's presidential election by the Guardian Council whose members are directly or indirectly selected by Khamenei. This doesn't mean that many of those disqualified are any better. Some of them are stalwarts of the government.
6. The list of those who was selected, though, reads like a most wanted list! All are former or present government officials responsible for and linked to serious human rights violations during their various governmental positions. Here's a short bio of them:
* Mehdi Karroubi, Member of the State Expediency Council, former Majlis Speaker from 1989 to 1992 and 2000 to 2004. Secretary General and founding member of Militant Clerics Society one of the most reactionary organisations in Iran. He also headed the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and the Martyrs Foundation, two state institutions which control much of the country's assets.
* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has been a top commander of the notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in particular responsible for murder of thousands of opponents during the dark days of mass killings in the early 80s. A recently revealed document has shown his involvement in planning an attempt on the life of author Salman Rushdie. He is a member of the central council of the Society of the Devotees of the Islamic Revolution.
* Mohsen Rezai, Secretary of State Expediency Council; one of the founders and former Commander of Iran's notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from 1981 to 1997. He is personally responsible for murdering many socialist and opponents of the Islamic Republic. He is wanted by Interpol for planning and undertaking acts of terrorism abroad.
* Hossein Mousavi, has been prime minister and head of government for several years. He organised and carried out massacres and suppression of protests of the population in the 80s, in which hundreds of thousands were arrested and thousands executed. In his time in office a row of inhumane and barbaric laws against women, the opposition and critics of the regime were introduced and used.
7. Some say that if all those who want are allowed to run, this could be considered a real election. It can't - because only those 'distinguished men possessing trustworthiness and piety; and a convinced belief in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the official religion of the country' can be elected according to Article 115 of the Islamic Republic of Iran's constitution. This effectively excludes the vast majority of the population.
8. Of course that means women are automatically and categorically excluded from running in the election. Again, Article 20 of the constitution states: '…both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights' but only in conformity with Islamic criteria.' But again, if women were allowed to run, they would only implement the same misogyny inherent in the system.
9. The person who will be 'elected' today will have to swear that he 'will guard the official religion of the country, the order of the Islamic Republic and the Constitution of the country' and dedicate himself to the 'the honour of the country, the propagation of religion and morality.' The person selected in this farce is going to uphold the very barbarity that the people in Iran are gearing to overthrow.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Maryam on BBC Three Counties Today
To hear Maryam talk about sharia judge Anjem Chaudhry, click on morning show.
Monday, June 08, 2009
WPI protests attendance of the Iranian regime at ILO conference
On Wednesday June 3rd, WPI activists carried out a protest action at the opening session of the 98th International Labour Conf
erence in Geneva to urge for the expulsion of the Islamic regime of Iran from the ILO, while highlighting the situation of jailed workers in Iran. The conference venue was the UN’s Palais des Nations, where around 4,000 delegates had gathered in plenum at a packed Conference Hall.
Seconds after the sounding of the opening bell, at around 10.20am, three WPI members took to the stage while holding pictures of a number of jailed workers in Iran. Pointing in the direction of the Iranian delegation, they called for the boycott of the Islamic regime at the conference and for its expulsion from the ILO. They said a regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO; a regime which executes children and stones women to death belongs not in an organisation bearing the name of ‘labour’ but in international courts to answer for its crimes against humanity.
The action, which lasted for around three to four minutes, was intercepted with the audience’s repeated applauds. The warm reception it received is an indication of the increasing international isolation of the Iranian regime, in particular among the world’s trade unions. A WPI statement, calling for the boycott of the Islamic Republic, was widely distributed to the delegates after the morning session inside the UN compound (see below).
Concurrently with the action inside the hall, a rally was held at the Place des Nations nearby, in front of the Nations Gate, which lasted till around 3pm.
Film 1 (Inside) Film 2 (Rally) [Commentaries are in Farsi] Short clip (Inside) Photos
* * *
WPI statement distributed at the ILO conference:
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran at the ILO conference!
A delegation from the Islamic regime of Iran is attending the ILO’s annual conference. These people are not representatives of Iranian workers. They only represent the Islamic regime of Iran, which is a persistent and systematic abuser of workers’ rights. This regime jails and flogs workers for organising in a union, for attending May Day rallies and for protesting over pay and working conditions. This regime is a horrific abuser of human rights. It executes children and stones women to death, and has the highest per capita record of executions in the world. Such a regime does not belong in the ILO, but in international courts to face charges for its crimes against humanity. Such a regime should be expelled from the ILO and from all international bodies.
We request all the workers’ groups and all delegates appalled at the abuse of labour and human rights in Iran to walk out of any sessions at which the representatives of this regime may want to take the podium and speak. Their mere presence should prompt your immediate walkout.
Just like the South African regime during the years of racial Apartheid, so the Islamic regime of gender Apartheid and gross labour and human rights abuse should be boycotted at all international bodies, and first and foremost at an organisation which bears the name of labour.
§ Protest against the attendance of the Islamic regime of Iran at the ILO conference!
§ Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation!
§ Call for the release of all jailed workers in Iran!
§ Join the rally today at Place des Nations (‘Nations Gate’) 12:00-2:00pm!
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI)
June 3rd, 2009
For more info: wpi.workers.iran@gmail.com
erence in Geneva to urge for the expulsion of the Islamic regime of Iran from the ILO, while highlighting the situation of jailed workers in Iran. The conference venue was the UN’s Palais des Nations, where around 4,000 delegates had gathered in plenum at a packed Conference Hall.Seconds after the sounding of the opening bell, at around 10.20am, three WPI members took to the stage while holding pictures of a number of jailed workers in Iran. Pointing in the direction of the Iranian delegation, they called for the boycott of the Islamic regime at the conference and for its expulsion from the ILO. They said a regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO; a regime which executes children and stones women to death belongs not in an organisation bearing the name of ‘labour’ but in international courts to answer for its crimes against humanity.
The action, which lasted for around three to four minutes, was intercepted with the audience’s repeated applauds. The warm reception it received is an indication of the increasing international isolation of the Iranian regime, in particular among the world’s trade unions. A WPI statement, calling for the boycott of the Islamic Republic, was widely distributed to the delegates after the morning session inside the UN compound (see below).
Concurrently with the action inside the hall, a rally was held at the Place des Nations nearby, in front of the Nations Gate, which lasted till around 3pm.
Film 1 (Inside) Film 2 (Rally) [Commentaries are in Farsi] Short clip (Inside) Photos
* * *
WPI statement distributed at the ILO conference:
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran at the ILO conference!
A delegation from the Islamic regime of Iran is attending the ILO’s annual conference. These people are not representatives of Iranian workers. They only represent the Islamic regime of Iran, which is a persistent and systematic abuser of workers’ rights. This regime jails and flogs workers for organising in a union, for attending May Day rallies and for protesting over pay and working conditions. This regime is a horrific abuser of human rights. It executes children and stones women to death, and has the highest per capita record of executions in the world. Such a regime does not belong in the ILO, but in international courts to face charges for its crimes against humanity. Such a regime should be expelled from the ILO and from all international bodies.
We request all the workers’ groups and all delegates appalled at the abuse of labour and human rights in Iran to walk out of any sessions at which the representatives of this regime may want to take the podium and speak. Their mere presence should prompt your immediate walkout.
Just like the South African regime during the years of racial Apartheid, so the Islamic regime of gender Apartheid and gross labour and human rights abuse should be boycotted at all international bodies, and first and foremost at an organisation which bears the name of labour.
§ Protest against the attendance of the Islamic regime of Iran at the ILO conference!
§ Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation!
§ Call for the release of all jailed workers in Iran!
§ Join the rally today at Place des Nations (‘Nations Gate’) 12:00-2:00pm!
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI)
June 3rd, 2009
For more info: wpi.workers.iran@gmail.com
Friday, June 05, 2009
One Law for All fundraiser dinner, June 27, 2009
Hello
We hope you will join our fundraiser dinner on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 7:00pm at one of London’s finest gastro-pubs to enjoy an excellent three-course dinner and support the One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain.
The campaign and its spokesperson Maryam Namazie have just been profiled in the June 2009 issue of Easy Living magazine.
The dinner’s keynote speaker will be AC Grayling, the renowned philosopher, author, writer, reviewer, and broadcaster.
To purchase a ticket(s) at £60.00 per person, you can either post a cheque made payable to One Law for All to BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX or pay via Paypal. Please note that it is possible to reserve a table for a group. Once payment has been received, we will send you your ticket(s), along with details of the venue and a menu to choose from. To offer greater choice to our guests and to enable the chefs to cater with speed and efficiency we will be asking you to make your dinner choices in advance.
If you have any questions about the dinner, please feel free to contact me. Given that space is limited, we would appreciate receiving payment as soon as possible and no later than June 20.
We look forward to seeing you at the event and hope this fundraiser and others like it will help us to raise much needed funds to get rid of Sharia and religious courts and tribunals once and for all.
Thank you for your continued support.
Best wishes,
Goranka Gudelj
Outreach Coordinator
PS If you can’t come to the event but want to support the fundraiser, you can send in a donation of £60 to cover the cost of a volunteer to attend. You can also help organise similar fundraisers in other cities.
We hope you will join our fundraiser dinner on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 7:00pm at one of London’s finest gastro-pubs to enjoy an excellent three-course dinner and support the One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain.
The campaign and its spokesperson Maryam Namazie have just been profiled in the June 2009 issue of Easy Living magazine.
The dinner’s keynote speaker will be AC Grayling, the renowned philosopher, author, writer, reviewer, and broadcaster.
To purchase a ticket(s) at £60.00 per person, you can either post a cheque made payable to One Law for All to BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX or pay via Paypal. Please note that it is possible to reserve a table for a group. Once payment has been received, we will send you your ticket(s), along with details of the venue and a menu to choose from. To offer greater choice to our guests and to enable the chefs to cater with speed and efficiency we will be asking you to make your dinner choices in advance.
If you have any questions about the dinner, please feel free to contact me. Given that space is limited, we would appreciate receiving payment as soon as possible and no later than June 20.
We look forward to seeing you at the event and hope this fundraiser and others like it will help us to raise much needed funds to get rid of Sharia and religious courts and tribunals once and for all.
Thank you for your continued support.
Best wishes,
Goranka Gudelj
Outreach Coordinator
PS If you can’t come to the event but want to support the fundraiser, you can send in a donation of £60 to cover the cost of a volunteer to attend. You can also help organise similar fundraisers in other cities.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran at the ILO conference!
A delegation from the Islamic regime of Iran is attending the ILO’s annual conference. These people are not representatives of Iranian workers. They only represent the Islamic regime of Iran, which is a persistent and systematic abuser of workers’ rights. This regime jails and flogs workers for organising in a union, for attending May Day rallies and for protesting over pay and working conditions. This regime is a horrific abuser of human rights. It executes children and stones women to death, and has the highest per capita record of executions in the world. Such a regime does not belong in the ILO, but in international courts to face charges for its crimes against humanity. Such a regime should be expelled from the ILO and from all international bodies.
We request all the workers’ groups and all delegates appalled at the abuse of labour and human rights in Iran to walk out of any sessions at which the representatives of this regime may want to take the podium and speak. Their mere presence should prompt your immediate walkout.
Just like the South African regime during the years of racial Apartheid, so the Islamic regime of gender Apartheid and gross labour and human rights abuse should be boycotted at all international bodies, and first and foremost at an organisation which bears the name of labour.
§ Protest against the attendance of the Islamic regime of Iran at the ILO conference!
§ Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation!
§ Call for the release of all jailed workers in Iran!
§ Join the rally today at Place des Nations (‘Nations Gate’) 12:00-2:00pm!
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
WPI - International Labour Solidarity Committee
June 3rd, 2009 Info: wpi.workers.iran@gmail.com
A delegation from the Islamic regime of Iran is attending the ILO’s annual conference. These people are not representatives of Iranian workers. They only represent the Islamic regime of Iran, which is a persistent and systematic abuser of workers’ rights. This regime jails and flogs workers for organising in a union, for attending May Day rallies and for protesting over pay and working conditions. This regime is a horrific abuser of human rights. It executes children and stones women to death, and has the highest per capita record of executions in the world. Such a regime does not belong in the ILO, but in international courts to face charges for its crimes against humanity. Such a regime should be expelled from the ILO and from all international bodies.
We request all the workers’ groups and all delegates appalled at the abuse of labour and human rights in Iran to walk out of any sessions at which the representatives of this regime may want to take the podium and speak. Their mere presence should prompt your immediate walkout.
Just like the South African regime during the years of racial Apartheid, so the Islamic regime of gender Apartheid and gross labour and human rights abuse should be boycotted at all international bodies, and first and foremost at an organisation which bears the name of labour.
§ Protest against the attendance of the Islamic regime of Iran at the ILO conference!
§ Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation!
§ Call for the release of all jailed workers in Iran!
§ Join the rally today at Place des Nations (‘Nations Gate’) 12:00-2:00pm!
A regime which arrests, jails and flogs workers should not be in the ILO!
WPI - International Labour Solidarity Committee
June 3rd, 2009 Info: wpi.workers.iran@gmail.com
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Join June 3 Rally in defence of May Day detainees in Geneva in front of the ILO
In Solidarity with Workers in Iran and to Demand the Release of May Day Detainees on Wednesday June 3
Join the Rally in front of the ILO Conference Centre
The annual assembly of the ILO will take place between June 3 and 19, 2009, in Geneva. Like previous years, a delegation representing the Islamic Republic regime in Iran and representatives of regime-made organisations will participate in this assembly. Those who are responsible for repressing workers should not be allowed to join the ILO. The Islamic regime in Iran should be expelled from the ILO for oppressing workers and depriving them from all their rights.
To support the struggle of workers and to demand the release of the workers who were arrested on May 1, and the release of all imprisoned workers in Iran join this rally!
We call on all freedom loving people and worker organisations to take part in the rally.
Time: Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 12.00 hours
Place: Geneva, in front of the ILO Conference Centre
May Day Detainees should be Released Immediately and Unconditionally!
Free Imprisoned Workers, Free Political Prisoners!
Islamic Republic Out of the ILO!
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Organisation Abroad
Join the Rally in front of the ILO Conference Centre
The annual assembly of the ILO will take place between June 3 and 19, 2009, in Geneva. Like previous years, a delegation representing the Islamic Republic regime in Iran and representatives of regime-made organisations will participate in this assembly. Those who are responsible for repressing workers should not be allowed to join the ILO. The Islamic regime in Iran should be expelled from the ILO for oppressing workers and depriving them from all their rights.
To support the struggle of workers and to demand the release of the workers who were arrested on May 1, and the release of all imprisoned workers in Iran join this rally!
We call on all freedom loving people and worker organisations to take part in the rally.
Time: Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 12.00 hours
Place: Geneva, in front of the ILO Conference Centre
May Day Detainees should be Released Immediately and Unconditionally!
Free Imprisoned Workers, Free Political Prisoners!
Islamic Republic Out of the ILO!
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Organisation Abroad
Friday, May 29, 2009
The Fighter: On Maryam Namazie
This issue of Easy Living magazine has something on the work I'm doing.
Mahdavi-tabars must be granted refugee status!
Urgent Action
29 May 2009
Re: Ali Reza Mahdavi-tabar, case no: 385-07c01469, date of birth: 29/12/1978
Mehdi Mahdavi-tabar, case no: 385-07c01464, date of birth: 18/09/1982
Hamideh Mahdavi-tabar, case no: 385-07c0146, date of birth: 27/05/1984
Alireza, Mehdi and Hamideh are the children of Manouchehr Mahdavi-tabar, a well-known Iranian labour activist and one of the leading members of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburb Vahed Bus Company. Mahdavi-tabar was fired, imprisoned thrice, and forced to flee after being threatened with death by security agents as a result of his labour activities.
Mahdavi-tabar is currently living in Canada after having been granted refugee status for the persecution he faced. His children, however, continue to face a tenuous situation, having been refused refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey where they fled from Iran.
It is common knowledge that families of labour activists are often harassed, intimidated and persecuted by the Iranian government. In the case of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburb Vahed Bus Company, the government violently attacked and arrested many workers and their leadership as well as a number of their wives and children. At the time, human rights groups called on the Iranian government to stop its persecution of workers and their families. Some of those arrested continue to languish in prison. In the case of Mahdavi-tabar’s children, they were active in supporting their father's labour rights activities, including by distributing leaflets and raising awareness on the abysmal situation of workers at their places of work and study. Mehdi, for example, challenged the head of the Islamic regime’s Workers’ Council and a member of the Islamic Assembly and was fired from his job and expelled from university as a result. The Islamic regime of Iran treated the three children as social pariahs and denied them the right to education or work. They were also blacklisted and felt threatened and persecuted.
The three deserve refugee status and protection. They have a well-founded fear of persecution should they be returned to Iran.
To support the Mahdavi-tabar family, sign the petition here calling for the UNHCR in Turkey to review their cases and to grant them refugee status.
You can also send personal letters of protest to the UNHCR in Turkey:
Birleşmiş Milletler Mülteciler Yüksek Komiserliği ANKARA
Tiflis Cad. 552. Sok. No: 3 Sancak Mah. 06550 Ankara, Turkey
Tel: 0312 409 70 00
Fax: 0312 441 21 73
Email
For more information on this case, please contact: Tahmineh Sadeghi, Hambastegi-International Federation of Iranian Refugees-Vancouver, tel: 1 604 727 8986, fax: 1 604 873 4299, email: taminehsadeghi@hotmail.com.
29 May 2009
Re: Ali Reza Mahdavi-tabar, case no: 385-07c01469, date of birth: 29/12/1978
Mehdi Mahdavi-tabar, case no: 385-07c01464, date of birth: 18/09/1982
Hamideh Mahdavi-tabar, case no: 385-07c0146, date of birth: 27/05/1984
Alireza, Mehdi and Hamideh are the children of Manouchehr Mahdavi-tabar, a well-known Iranian labour activist and one of the leading members of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburb Vahed Bus Company. Mahdavi-tabar was fired, imprisoned thrice, and forced to flee after being threatened with death by security agents as a result of his labour activities.
Mahdavi-tabar is currently living in Canada after having been granted refugee status for the persecution he faced. His children, however, continue to face a tenuous situation, having been refused refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey where they fled from Iran.
It is common knowledge that families of labour activists are often harassed, intimidated and persecuted by the Iranian government. In the case of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburb Vahed Bus Company, the government violently attacked and arrested many workers and their leadership as well as a number of their wives and children. At the time, human rights groups called on the Iranian government to stop its persecution of workers and their families. Some of those arrested continue to languish in prison. In the case of Mahdavi-tabar’s children, they were active in supporting their father's labour rights activities, including by distributing leaflets and raising awareness on the abysmal situation of workers at their places of work and study. Mehdi, for example, challenged the head of the Islamic regime’s Workers’ Council and a member of the Islamic Assembly and was fired from his job and expelled from university as a result. The Islamic regime of Iran treated the three children as social pariahs and denied them the right to education or work. They were also blacklisted and felt threatened and persecuted.
The three deserve refugee status and protection. They have a well-founded fear of persecution should they be returned to Iran.
To support the Mahdavi-tabar family, sign the petition here calling for the UNHCR in Turkey to review their cases and to grant them refugee status.
You can also send personal letters of protest to the UNHCR in Turkey:
Birleşmiş Milletler Mülteciler Yüksek Komiserliği ANKARA
Tiflis Cad. 552. Sok. No: 3 Sancak Mah. 06550 Ankara, Turkey
Tel: 0312 409 70 00
Fax: 0312 441 21 73
For more information on this case, please contact: Tahmineh Sadeghi, Hambastegi-International Federation of Iranian Refugees-Vancouver, tel: 1 604 727 8986, fax: 1 604 873 4299, email: taminehsadeghi@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Juvenile Mohammadreza Haddadi scheduled for execution tomorrow
Act now to stop another execution in Iran. Please click on the link to see the urgent action appeal for juvenile Mohammadreza Haddadi scheduled to be executed on Wednesday in Iran.
31 still in jail amid reports of torture
Iran: Campaign for the Release of May Day Detainees
Following the release of nine more detainees in recent days, 31 workers and activists arrested on May Day in Tehran continue to be detained at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. Most of the detainees have been transferred to Ward 7 of the Prison, while five are being held in Ward 209, which is the special interrogation ward run by the Intelligence Ministry. The five are Jafar Azim-Zadeh, Saeed Yuzi, Mohammad Ashrafi, Alireza Saghafi and Mohsen Saghafi.
According to reports by the Free Union of Iranian Workers, Jafar Azim-Zadeh, the Union’s President, shortly after a visit by his family, was taken to Ward 209 along with Saeed Yuzi and Mohammad Ashrafi, where they were badly beaten up. The detained workers have told their families that Jafar Azim-Zadeh has been beaten up particularly severely. In its statement, the Union condemned the brutal treatment of the detainees and held the security and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic responsible for the life and safety of all those detained. The Union believes the prisoners are being beaten to extract false confessions.
The detainees freed on bail on 18th, 19th and 24th February have been named as Taha Vali-Zadeh, Bahram Abedini, Abouzar Khademi, Ali Piri, Homayoun Jaberi, Hamid Malak-Zadeh, Pourya Pishtareh, Mansoor Hayat-Gheibi and Yunes Arzhang.
In the mean time, over 50 workers’ organisations and collectives and rights groups in Iran so far have become signatories to the campaign for the release of the May Day detainees.* Around the world, many international, national and local trade unions have condemned the arrests, and, specifically, four global trade union federations, namely, ITUC, ITF, IUF and EI**, have called for world-wide demonstrations on 26th June in front of the Islamic Republic’s embassies and consulates. WPI has expressed its emphatic support for this action, and in a statement on 21st May called on the people in Iran and Iranian communities abroad to join these demonstrations in their respective cities. Mobilising support for the May Day detainees has been a daily feature of the programmes of WPI’s international 24-hour TV network NewChannel which broadcasts to Iran, Europe and the Middle East. †
At the same time, in protest at the planned attendance of the Islamic Republic’s delegation at the ILO’s Annual Conference in Geneva, and as part of the campaign for the release of the May Day detainees, WPI’s Organisation Abroad has called for a demonstration on the opening day of the ILO Conference on Wednesday 3rd June, 12:00 noon, in front of the UN’s Palais des Nations. (Please see separately for details of this demonstration.)
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the
Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI)
25 May 2009
For more information, contact ILSC.
* To contact and/or add your name to this campaign, please contact the email address announced by the campaign organisers.
** International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF); International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF); Education International (EI).
† NewChannel TV broadcasts 24 hours a day on Hotbird 8 and targets mainly Farsi-speaking audiences in Iran, the Middle East and Europe, with several programmes in English, Arabic and Kurdish. It can also be viewed online. Its highly popular and influential live evening programmes (local time) attract millions of viewers in Iran and Europe, with interactive caller participation.
Following the release of nine more detainees in recent days, 31 workers and activists arrested on May Day in Tehran continue to be detained at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. Most of the detainees have been transferred to Ward 7 of the Prison, while five are being held in Ward 209, which is the special interrogation ward run by the Intelligence Ministry. The five are Jafar Azim-Zadeh, Saeed Yuzi, Mohammad Ashrafi, Alireza Saghafi and Mohsen Saghafi.
According to reports by the Free Union of Iranian Workers, Jafar Azim-Zadeh, the Union’s President, shortly after a visit by his family, was taken to Ward 209 along with Saeed Yuzi and Mohammad Ashrafi, where they were badly beaten up. The detained workers have told their families that Jafar Azim-Zadeh has been beaten up particularly severely. In its statement, the Union condemned the brutal treatment of the detainees and held the security and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic responsible for the life and safety of all those detained. The Union believes the prisoners are being beaten to extract false confessions.
The detainees freed on bail on 18th, 19th and 24th February have been named as Taha Vali-Zadeh, Bahram Abedini, Abouzar Khademi, Ali Piri, Homayoun Jaberi, Hamid Malak-Zadeh, Pourya Pishtareh, Mansoor Hayat-Gheibi and Yunes Arzhang.
In the mean time, over 50 workers’ organisations and collectives and rights groups in Iran so far have become signatories to the campaign for the release of the May Day detainees.* Around the world, many international, national and local trade unions have condemned the arrests, and, specifically, four global trade union federations, namely, ITUC, ITF, IUF and EI**, have called for world-wide demonstrations on 26th June in front of the Islamic Republic’s embassies and consulates. WPI has expressed its emphatic support for this action, and in a statement on 21st May called on the people in Iran and Iranian communities abroad to join these demonstrations in their respective cities. Mobilising support for the May Day detainees has been a daily feature of the programmes of WPI’s international 24-hour TV network NewChannel which broadcasts to Iran, Europe and the Middle East. †
At the same time, in protest at the planned attendance of the Islamic Republic’s delegation at the ILO’s Annual Conference in Geneva, and as part of the campaign for the release of the May Day detainees, WPI’s Organisation Abroad has called for a demonstration on the opening day of the ILO Conference on Wednesday 3rd June, 12:00 noon, in front of the UN’s Palais des Nations. (Please see separately for details of this demonstration.)
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the
Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI)
25 May 2009
For more information, contact ILSC.
* To contact and/or add your name to this campaign, please contact the email address announced by the campaign organisers.
** International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF); International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF); Education International (EI).
† NewChannel TV broadcasts 24 hours a day on Hotbird 8 and targets mainly Farsi-speaking audiences in Iran, the Middle East and Europe, with several programmes in English, Arabic and Kurdish. It can also be viewed online. Its highly popular and influential live evening programmes (local time) attract millions of viewers in Iran and Europe, with interactive caller participation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)