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
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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