Protest at the Haft Tapeh sugar plant, Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, February 2018
Iran’s head of judiciary has ordered a review of long prison sentences imposed on labor and union activists.
Ebrahimi Raisi has assigned the head of Tehran’s Justice Department to oversee the enquiry into terms of up to 20 years punishing the activists over protests at the Haft Tapeh sugar plant in southwest Iran.
Raisi’s intervention came after a letter to him from Cooperatives Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari over the “shocking” verdicts. The Government has reportedly decided to form a committee of Justice and Labor Ministers and President Hassan Rouhani’s legal advisor, to consider court cases and procedures.
Throughout 2018, there were strikes and demonstrations at the Haft Tapeh complex over wages and conditions. Shariatmadari has said, “Protesting work conditions is the absolute right of the labor force.”
Under Article 27 of Iran’s Constitution, “Public assemblies and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.”
But the Iranian regime does not recognize labor unions, instead using a “Workers’ House” to support its position, and has regularly imprisoned and harassed activists.
In the Haft Tapeh case, five activists and labor journalists, including Sepideh Qolian, were given 18-year sentences. Union representative Esmail Bakhshi received a 14-year term, while employee Mohammad Khonifar was condemned to six years.
All seven men are being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison.
Bakhshi and fellow activist Qolian were arrested in November and again in January. They claim they were tortured to make “confessions”. Iran State TV broadcasts declared that the two were linked to a foreign-based Marxist group.
In March, As’ad Behnam Ebrahimzadeh was given a six-year prison sentenced after a 10-minute trial over his attendance at the protests
Iran Daily, January 21: Regime Cracks Down on Labor Activists Amid Protests
Iran Daily, March 24: 10-Minute Trial, 6-Year Sentence for Labor Activist
How life goes around. The workers from the same sector(and others) protested and went on strike 40 years ago over shah’s injustice, not a single one spent a single hour in custody.
On a related note, I came across a documentary made by an older journalist who investigated atrocities by shah’s dynasty. According to him, since reza shah(1920s) to end of 1979 something like ~2500 people were killed, executed, or disappeared. While one is too many, it is far too few for the claims that were laid against shah given he was suppose to be the terrible person everyone thought. I tend to believe this report. I wasn’t there 70 years ago but I was there during 78-79. In 70s I was old enough to pay attention, and I was eye witness to it as a self appointed and naive reporter with my camera. The bloodiest day was when some unknown elements fired at air force maintenance crew, estimated casualty were 150 wounded and killed, mostly the air force personnel. And even that, the commander of the base was arrested for returning fire on protesters…