A 24 hours hunger strike for the release of Mahmoud Salehi

 

July 17, 2007- Mahmoud Salehi’s son, Samarand Salehi, has reported to the roozonline.com on July 16th that Mr. Salehi was transferred to Tohid hospital last Thursday evening after becoming unconscious in jail. He received some basic treatments in the hospital and was sent back to the prison after 14 hours. Mahmoud’s blood pressure is fluctuating and there is no sign of improvement to his deteriorating health. Mr. Sharif, Salehi’s lawyer, reported to the roozonline.com that all his efforts and letters have been denied by the authorities. The justice department in Sanadaj does not respect any legal procedures and no other authorities have intervened in this case thus far. He adds that Mr. Salehi has been in prison numerous times, but this time, as a result of his serious kidney problems, his life is in danger. He expressed serious concerns that at any time he might receive a call from Salehi’s wife with horrible news.  The situation has become so grim that even the pro-government Members of Parliament in Kurdistan province have expressed concerns about Salehi’s well-being.

 

Behzad Sohrabi, a labour activist and spokesperson for the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, and Najibeh Salehizadeh, have reported that a hunger strike in Kurdistan and other cities is being organized to protest against Salehi’s life threatening situation in jail and for his immediate release. Hundreds of organizations and labour activists have pledged to support this 24-hour hunger strike which will take place on Wednesday, July 18, 2007. Please refer below to the statement issued in Iran by the Committee in Defence of Mahmoud Salehi.

 

 

Hundreds of labour activists and organizations in Iran have thus far supported;

The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi’s calls for

24 hours hunger strike for the release of Mahmoud Salehi

Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labour activist, who during the celebration of May 1, 2004 had been arrested along with his colleagues, after three years was finally sentenced to 1 year imprisonment and 3 years suspended sentence. This decision was applied illegally on April 9, 2007 without officially giving him or his lawyers the verdict.

Mahmoud has now been for 3 months in prison facing a critical health condition. He has only one kidney which functions at 20 percent of capacity. In spite of the support of thousands of workers in Iran and around the world, the legal and prison authorities refuse to allow treatment for Mahmoud. Moreover, they have been threatening his supporters, and that is an insult to the working class.


We, members of the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi and other defenders of workers’ rights, on the occasion of the 100th days of imprisonment for Salehi, on Wednesday July 18, 2007, will go on a 24-hour hunger strike in our work places and communities for his freedom and that of other labour activists and in order to put an end to this unbearable situation.

We call on all workers and independent labour activists, organizations and committees and also teachers, women, students and freedom-loving people to support this action individually or collectively, and to inform us about your collaborative solidarity actions for the freedom of Salehi and other workers in order to reflect them in the weblog of this committee.

Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi

 July 13, 2007

www.Kdmahmodsalehi.blogfa.com

[email protected]

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

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

Background Information: www.workers-iran.org

http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/INDEXI.htm