*Agents of terror go free and May First activists get lashed!
February 21, 2009 - As reported by “Coordinating Committee to Help Form workers’ organizations,” on Wednesday February 18th, 2009 lashing sentences against Ms. Shiva Kheirabadi and Ms. Sosuan Razani for their participation in May First events last year were carried out. Sousan Razani received a 9 months’ suspended sentence and 70 lashes and Shiva Kheirabadi a 4 months’ suspended sentence and 15 lashes. Furthermore, on Saturday, February 21, 2009, two other labour activists in Sanandaj, Abdullah Khani and Qaleb Hosseini were summoned to the Sanadaj judiciary. Mr. Qaleb Hosseini was sentenced to 50 lashes and 6 months in prison and Mr. Abdullah Khani, 40 lashes and 91 days in prison. Although these activists had appealed against these sentences, the court confirmed all of the sentences on February 21st and immediately carried out the whipping sentences against these labour activists. After that, they were both transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison to serve their unjust prison sentences.
A few months back the news of these sentences was met with widespread condemnation and disbelief. How is it possible in 21st century to put labour activists on trial according to a most inhumane medieval sentence? This ruling was widely condemned throughout the world. Thousands of protesters, through campaigns like the LabourStarts’ urgent action and others, demanded the repeal of these unjust sentences. But Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) once more demonstrated, though it could curtail on many issues and items, in its enmity with the worker and the labour movement there’s not a second of rest. The IRI has no hesitation utilizing the most horrendous instruments in defense and maintenance of Capital’s mastery and intimidation of workers who challenge this absolute dominance of Capital.
The ultimate goal of the IRI in carrying out such ultra-reactionary sentences is to intimidate workers from pursuing their inalienable rights. The warm and lively reception by Sanandaj activists bestowed upon Kheirabadi and Razani was an indication of exactly how “successful” IRI has been in carrying out its policy of intimidation.
But it’s not enough to merely defeat IRI in pursuance of its goals! Today labor activists from Haft Tapeh are being put on trial because they choose to protest violation of their most basic rights: the right to organize, and being paid for their labour. On this very same day May First activists get lashed, so Iranian working class would learn a lesson. But labour activists consider all these attacks as insults and violation upon the Iranian working class in its entirety, and shall not permit them to go unanswered! IASWI will utilize all its capacity to contribute to such a response.
We strongly condemn the enforcement of this most bestial sentence and send our gratitude to Kheirabadi, Razani, Khani and Hosseini for their struggle and resistance. All jailed labour activists must be freed immediately and unconditionally.
For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)
*This refers to the assassination attempts on the life of Mr. Majid Hamidi, an Iranian labour activist in the city of Sanadaj in Kurdistan Province of Iran in October 2007. No one has yet been arrested or identified as the perpetrator of this crime.