Recent arrests of and acts of harassment against several Iranian trade-unionists

IRN 001 / 0112 / OBS 011

Arrest / Judicial harassment

Iran

January 20, 2012

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Iran.

Descriptionof the situation:

TheObservatory has been informed by the Iranian League for the Defence of HumanRights (LDDHI) of the recent arrests of and acts of harassment against severalIranian trade-unionists.

Accordingto the information received, on January 15, 2012, Mr. Shahrokh Zamani, amember of the provisional board for reopening the Building Painting WorkersSyndicate, was arrested by the Intelligence Department of East Azerbaijanprovince while at his workplace in the north western city of Tabriz and takento Tabriz prison, to serve his 11-year prison sentence. Presumably on the sameday, Mr. Mohammad Jarrahi, an unionist member of the Committee to PursueEstablishment of Labour Unions, who was prosecuted in the same case as Mr.Shahrokh Zamani, was also arrested by the same department while at his place ofresidence and taken to Tabriz prison to serve his five-year sentence. Messrs. NimaPouryaghoub and Sassan Vahebivash, student activists also prosecutedin the same case, were also summoned by telephone during the same period by theIntelligence Department of East Azerbaijan province to go to prison to serverespectively six years and six months of prison. They run the risk of beingarrested at any time[1].

TheObservatory was also informed of the arrest on January 17, 2012 of Mr. SheysAmani, founding member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, by agents ofthe Justice Department of Sanandaj, provincial capital of the IranianKurdistan. The latter was then taken to the central prison of Sanandaj, wherehe remains detained at the time of publication. No information could beobtained regarding the reasons for his arrest and the existence of possiblecharges against him. Mr. Sheys Amani and Mr. Sadiq Karimi, anotherfounding member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, had been arrested in May2007 and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Both had been released a few monthslater following domestic and international mobilisation. However, recently, theSentences Implementation Bureau notified the two trade unionists that they hadto go back to prison to serve their sentences. At the time of publication, wehad no information on the situation of Mr. Sadiq Karimi, who also risks beingarrested at any time.

Furthermore,on January 8, 2012, Mr. Sharif Sa'ed-Panah, a board member of the Free Unionof Iranian Workers, was arrested by plain clothed security agents at his homein Sanandaj, for being in possession of the Union's newsletter. Likewise, Mr. MozaffarSalehnia, another board member of the Union, was arrested on January 5 bysecurity agents for the same reasons. The two were released on bail on January19 pending trial. Exact charges are not known as of yet.

Also,on January 3, 2012, Mr. Maysam Nejati-Aref, an unionist at Tehran'sSAIPA car manufacturing company and a student, was arrested for defendingrights of workers by security agents at the factory and taken to an unknownplace. No specific information could be obtained as to the reasons for hisarrest and the existence of charges against him.

TheObservatory was also informed that Mr. Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President of theSyndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed). who was grantedleave from Evin prison on November 30, 2011 as part of a furlough[2], was arrested again on December 7,2011, when he wentto prison to extend his leave. The latter had been sentenced to three and ahalf-year imprisonment in December 2008 on false charges of “endangeringnational security”. As of today, he remains detained in Evin prison.

TheObservatory is further concerned with the ongoing detention and health statusof Mr. Reza Shahabi, the Treasurer and board member of Sherkat-e Vahed,who went on hunger strike in November 2011[3] and had to be hospitalised on December 13, 2011. Hereportedly ended his hunger strike subsequently, but has been left withoutproper medical attention.

Moreover,Mr. Mohammad Hosseini, an unionist in the city of Firuzkuh, east of thecapital Tehran, was arrested in late December 2011 for defending rights ofworkers by agents from the Intelligence Department and taken to a detentioncentre in the city of Damavand, east of the capital Tehran, where he remainsdetained as of today. No information could be obtained as to the existence ofcharges against him.

Finally,Mr. Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, a unionist teacher, was arrested during thefirst week of January 2012, and taken to Evin prison to serve a three-yearprison sentence. The specific reasons of the conviction are not known as todate. He had been previously arrested on May 1, 2010 and had spent more thaneight months in solitary confinement in section 209 of Ministry of Intelligencein Evin prison before being released on January 26, 2011.

Actionsrequested:

Pleasewrite to the Iranian authorities and ask them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical andpsychological integrity of Messrs. Shahrokh Zamani, Mohammad Jarrahi, NimaPouryaghoub, Sassan Vahebivash, Sheys Amani, Sadiq Karimi, Sharif Sa'ed-Panah,Mozaffar Salehnia, Maysam Nejati-Aref, Ebrahim Madadi, Reza Shahabi, MohammadHosseini and Mehdi Farahi Shandiz as well as all human rights defenders andtheir families in Iran;

ii. Release Messrs. Shahrokh Zamani, Sheys Amani, Maysam Nejati-Aref,Ebrahim Madadi, Reza Shahabi, Mohammad Hosseini and Mehdi Farahi Shandizimmediately and unconditionally as their detention is arbitrary since it onlyaims at sanctioning their human rights activities;

iii. Put an end to any kind ofharassment - including at the judicial level - against Messrs. Shahrokh Zamani,Mohammad Jarrahi, Nima Pouryaghoub, Sassan Vahebivash, Sheys Amani, SadiqKarimi, Sharif Sa'ed-Panah, Mozaffar Salehnia, Maysam Nejati-Aref, EbrahimMadadi, Reza Shahabi, Mohammad Hosseini and Mehdi Farahi Shandiz and moregenerally against all human rights defenders in Iran.

iv. Conform in any circumstances with the provisions of the Declaration onHuman Rights Defenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United NationsGeneral Assembly, in particular:

- its article 1, which states that“everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promotethe protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at thenational and international levels”;

- its article 5.b, which states that “everyone has the right, individuallyand in association with others, at the national and international levels, (…)to form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associationsor groups”;

- its article 12.2 which provides that “the State shall take all necessarymeasures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone,individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats,retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination,pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or herlegitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;

v. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedomsin accordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by Iran.

Addresses:

• Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader, Shahid Keshvardoost St., Jomhuri Eslami Ave., Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98 21 649, + 98 21 649 / 21 774 2228, E-Mail: info_leader@leader.ir,
• President Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 649 5880. Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
• Head of the Judiciary, His Excellency Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, Ministry of Justice, c/o Public relations Office, Number 4, 2 Azizi Street, Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98 21 879 6671 / +98 21 3 311 6567, Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com / bia.judi@yahoo.com / info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Av, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98-21-66743149, Email: matbuat@mfa.gov
• H.E. Mr. Seyed Mohammad Reza Sajjadi, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 7330203, Email: mission.iran@ties.itu.int
• Embassy of Iran in Brussels, 15 a avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 762 39 15. Email: iran-embassy@yahoo.com

Pleasealso write to the diplomatic representations of Iran in your respectivecountries.

***

Geneva-Paris,January 20, 2012

Kindlyinform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in yourreply.

The Observatory, an OMCT and FIDHventure, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims tooffer them concrete support in their time of need.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

• E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
• Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
• Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

[1] On November 21, 2011,the sentences of Messrs. Shahrokh Zamani, who was arrested on June 7, 2011,Mohammad Jarrahi, who was arrested on June 20, 2011, Nima Pouryaghoub andSassan Vahebivash, student activists, to respectively eleven years, five years,six years and six months of imprisonment were upheld by the Appeal Court oncharges of “propaganda against the system” and “establishment or membership ofa group opposed to the system”. Mr. Sassan Vahebivash was released on bail on August20. Mr. Nima Pouryaghoub was released on bail on September 8. Mr. ShahrokhZamani was released on bail on October 19. Mr. Mohammad Jarrahi was released onbail on October 3. See Observatory Press Release, December 2, 2011.

[2] See Observatory Press Release, December 2, 2011.

[3] Idem.