Mamoud Salehi faces new charges and temporary arrest while still in prison
Salehi Declares Dry Hunger-strike
Monday March 17, 2008- According to the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, Mr. Salehi was taken from Sanandaj Prison to branch 4 of the department of justice in Sanandaj on March 17, 2008. After making Mahmoud waiting for hours, they ordered a temporary arrest against him. They charged Mahmoud with communication and contacts with outside prison and issuing solidarity messages such as the one to those on hunger strike on Tir 27th 1386 (July 18, 2007) and also supporting freedom and equality seeking university students. This order was issued while Mahmoud’s one-year prison term was going to end on Farvardin 4th, 1387 (March 23, 2008), and his family and friends were expecting his release soon.
Immediately after this unjust order of arrest, Mahmoud went on dry hunger-strike to protest these unjust actions of government authorities to keep him in prison.
The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi has strongly condemned this new order to keep Mahmud in prison and demanded the unconditional and immediate release of Salehi.
Salehi’s health got seriously deteriorated last week while in jail. He completely passed out and was taken to hospital for a short period but was sent back to jail again. Salehi’s health does not allow him to be on hunger strike and his life would be at great risk; however, it is very clear that the government authorities are determined to keep him in prison and deny his freedom.
More updates to follow shortly.
Act NOW!
Iran: Release jailed workers, respect rights
http://www.labourstart.org/iran
You can also use the following sample letter:
Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: + 98 21 649 58 80
Email: [email protected]
I am writing this letter to express my outrage over new charges against Mahmoud Salehi, who has been in Sanadaj’s central prison since April 9, 2007. Mr. Salehi, a founding member and the former President of the Bakery Workers’ Association of the city of Saqez and a well-known labour activist in Iran, has been sentenced unjustly to one year imprisonment and a three year suspended prison sentence for his labour activities.
On Monday, March 17, 2008, the judiciary authorities in Sanadaj charged Mahmoud with connecting with outside prison and sending solidarity messages to progressive students and other prisoners. They put Mahmoud under temporary arrest while he was supposed to be released from prison on March 23, 2008. In response to this unjust order, Mahmoud Salehi has declared dry hunger strike effective immediately. It’s very important to emphasize that Mr. Salehi is currently suffering from a life-threatening kidney disease. He only has one kidney, and that kidney is functioning at about only 10 percent of capacity.
I am writing this to condemn this outrageous action on the part of your government and calling on you to release Mahmoud Salehi immediately and unconditionally as he is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of organizing the 2004 May Day demonstration and his right to freedom of expression and association in connection with his labour rights activities. I also demand that Mansour Osanloo as well as all other labour and student activists are released immediately and unconditionally.
Name
Organization
position
Send Copy of your Protest Letters to:
Leader of the Islamic Republic:
Ayatollah Sayed *Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street
Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]
Fax: 011 98 251 7774 2228
Head of the Judiciary:
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building
Panzdah-Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986 (may be difficult to reach)
Email: [email protected]
Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of
Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28,
1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 733 02 03, E-mail: [email protected]
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For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected].
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran
Background Information: www.workers-iran.org
http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/INDEXI.htm