Labour activists in jail and facing prosecution: Afshin Shams; Tayeb Molayee, Taha Azadi, Mohammad Jarahi and Mansour Osanloo  

Labour Activist, Afshin Shams sentenced to one year imprisonment

The Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ organizations reports that on November 1, 2008. Afshan Shams received his verdict from the court according which he has been sentenced to one year imprisonment. The verdict was given without the presence of Afshin’s lawyer.

Afshin was arrested at his work in city of Aligoodarz on July on July 3, 2008 and later was transferred to Dastgerd prison in Isfahan. A few days later, the intelligence agents of Isfahan searched his father’s home and confiscated all his drafts and scripts related to labour movement.

Tayeb Molayee Arrested; Taha Azadi Summoned to court

The Free Union of Workers in Iran reports that Mr. Tayeb Molayee, a member of the Executive Board of this labour organization was arrested on November 12, 2008. The security forces, from the police station # 15 in Sanandaj, raided Tayeb Molaayee’s residence and arrested his brother and announced that they would not free him unless Tayeb reported to them in person. A day after Tayeb goes to the police station and he was immediately arrested and on November 13th he was transferred to the Sanandaj’s central prison. He is incommunicado at this time and the authorities denied his mother a visit. Tayeb is facing frame-up charges of possessing a weapon as well as having a satellite TV. In fact, the security forces confiscated a satellite dish belong to Tayeb’s neighbour but claimed that belonged to him.

Another member of The Free Union of Workers in Iran, Mr. Taha Azadi, who is an alternate board member, was summoned to court by the deputy prosecutor of Kangan. In this summon, he has been told that he has only 7 days from the receipt of that summon to report to the prosecutor office of Kangan. He is charged with propaganda against the system. Mr. Azadi, along with Mr. Javanmir Moradi, were arrested in May for participating in May Day event and spent 47 days in prison and endured physical and emotional torture.  Taha Azadi and Javanmir Moradi, both member of board of directors of Free Union of Workers in Iran, were released on a $10,000 bail. They were arrested in Asalooyeh - Booshehr on May Day and were jailed for 47 days.

________________________________________________________________________________

Mohammad Jarahi will be back to court again

Mr. Mohammad Jarahi, who is a 48 year old labour activist and a resident of the city of

Tabriz, was arrested and sentenced to 4 month imprisonment without a trial or being

given the right to defend himself. Mr. Jarahi is a member of the Committee to Pursue

the Establishment of Free Workers’ Organizations in Iran. His lawyer appealed this sentence with the sixth branch of the appeal court of the East Azarbaijan province. He is now scheduled for hearing on December 5, 2008.

________________________________________________________________________

Osanloo beaten by the Jail’s security officers and was refused eye treatment

According to an statement by the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, Mansour Osanlo, the Syndicate’s president of the board, was supposed to be transferred from his prison to Labafinejad Hopital for eye treatment on November 2, 2008; however the authorities decided to transfer him to another hospital, which caused Mr. Osanloo to protest this decision because Osanloo’s doctors and all his medical files have been in Labafinejad Hospital. The security officers beat Osanloo and then return him to the Rajayee-sharh prison without any treatment.

For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

Background Information: www.workers-iran.org