Iran Reports

All 28 detained Khatoon Abad copper mine workers are now released on bail

 

February 15, 2016: According to confirmed reported in Iran, the lawyer for the 28 detained Khatoon Abad copper mine workers announced today that all 28 arrested Khatoon Abad workers have now released on bail. Each of these workers had to put up 50 million tomans as bail in order to secure their temporary release.

ILNA news agency reported on February 15, 2016: “Lawyer for Khatoon Abad copper mine workers announced the release of all detained workers yesterday. Ms. S. Mahmoudi, lawyer for Khatoon Abad copper mine workers, in contact with ILNA, announced the release of five detained workers of the complex. The workers yesterday were released on bail of 50 million tomans from the “Shahr-e Babak” Prison. In recent days, 23 people from 28 Khatoon Abad copper mine complex had been released on bail and with the release of the five remaining workers yesterday, Khatoon Abad detentions ended. Ms. Mahmoudi, in relation to the demands of the workers, said: we are following up on resolving the problems related to employment of these workers and their return to work.” (See here) 

As reported previously, the unjust arrest of these workers triggered international solidarity campaigns which helped with increasing pressures on the Iranian government authorities to release the incarcerated workers.  Many thanks to workers’ activists in Iran and labour organizations internationally particularly the IndustriALL Global Union for supporting the Khatoon Abad detainees.

 

Khatoon Abad workers had staged a series of protests after the Khatoon Abad Copper Mines, owned by the National Iranian Copper Industries Company, terminated 170 contract workers who had been promised permanent positions. On January 26, 2016, 28 workers were arrested during a protest, which prompted condemnations in Iran and internationally.

Iranian labour activists and organizations are calling for the reinstatement of all sacked workers by the Khatoon Abad Copper Mines Complex and the cancelation of all the heavy bails imposed on the Khatoon Abad 28.

As stated before, IASWI will collect more information about the cases of the Khatoon Abad 28 and will issue subsequent updates.

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

February 15, 2016

 

 

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