Updates on the trials of Saqez Labour Activists!

Mahmoud Salehi and Jalal Hosseini, 2 of the 7 arrested labour activists during the 2004 May Day event in the City of Saqez, faced their latest trials on October 16th and 18^th respectively at the Branch One of the Saqez’ Revolution Court behind the closed doors. A contingent of their supporters and family members were denied entry to the court.

These labour activists have been charged this time with attempting to hold an illegal gathering for the purpose of committing crime (“celebrating May Day”).

In March 2005, Mahmoud Salehi, the former President of the Bakery Workers’ Association of the city of Saqez, had been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and 3 years in exile in the city of Ghorveh, and Jalal Hosseini, a member of the Bakery Workers’ Association of the city of Saqez, was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. These sentences were appealed by their lawyers and subsequently overturned by the Kurdistan Province Court of Appeal, Division 7 in May 2006. However, the Saqez revolutionary Court decided to press new charges against them and three others, Mohsen Hakimi, Borhan Divargar and Mohammad Abdipour. Since then, Mohammad Abdipour has been acquitted, but Mr. Borhan Divargar is sentenced to two years imprisonment. His lawyer is appealing the sentence. Mohsen Hakimi’s trial is scheduled for November 1^st, 2006.

Salehi and Hosseini, who were accompanied by their defence lawyers, denied all charges and called for the unconditional dismissal of all charges against them. They expect the verdict being announced shortly.

Please continue to send your protest letters to the Iranian government (See below).

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

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran

October 22, 2006

Sample Letter in Support of the Saqez Labour Leaders

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadjinejad,

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected]
Fax: + 98 21 649 58 80

I am writing this letter to express my condemnation regarding the continued persecution of Saqez labour activists. According to the latest news, Mr. Borhan Divargar has been sentenced to two years imprisonment, and Mahmoud Salehi, former President of the Bakery Workers’ Association in Saqez, is scheduled to appear for a court hearing on October 16, 2006, Jalal Hosseini on October 18, 2006 and Mohsen Hakimi on November 1^st, 2006.

The right to organize and celebrate International Workers’ Day is an integral aspect of workers' and democratic rights and should under no circumstances be considered as an offence of any kind.

Arresting and charging labour activists for participating in May Day or other labour organizing efforts is a clear violation of worker’s most basic rights.
I strongly urge you to take immediate measures to ensure that all charges against the above labour activists are unconditionally dropped without any further repercussions.

Print Name

CC: Ambassador Mohammad Reza Alborzi, 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]

*CC: [email protected]

Background Information: www.workers-iran.org