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H.E. Seyed Mohammad Khatami
President The Presidency Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran By Fax: + 98-21-648.06.65 TUR/JS 7 July 2004 Four labour leaders, including Mahmoud Salei summoned to court Dear Mr. President, The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), which represents 150 million workers through its 233 affiliated trade union centres in 152 countries and territories worldwide, protests against the summons served around 30 June 2004 to labour leaders Mahmoud Salehi, Jalal Hosseini, Borhan Divangar and Mohammad Abdipoor on charges of collaboration with the banned political organisation ”Komala”. The four labour leaders were among 50 workers arrested while celebrating Labour Day on 1 May 2004. Mahmoud Salehi, Jalal Hosseini, Borhan Divangar and Mohammad Abdipoor and three others were not released before 12 May. The four of them now have to appear in court on 24 August. Mr. Mahmoud Salehi is a well-known labour leader and has previously been imprisoned for ten months in 2001. The ICFTU is surprised that charges have been issued against the four labour leaders after their release on 12 May. Our surprise is especially strong, since the ICFTU was under the impression that by releasing them without charges it had been acknowledged that celebrating Labour Day can under no circumstances be seen as an offence of any kind. As we already pointed out to you in our letter of 5 May, all of them are independent labour activists and do not have links with political parties; it would therefore seem that they are once again merely being prosecuted for their labour rights activism and in particular their attempt to celebrate Labour Day on 1 May. Furthermore, the ICFTU remains very worried that their prosecution is directly related to their contacts with the ICFTU mission on 29 April, only two days before their arrest, as this mission had been closely monitored by the Iranian security service. The ICFTU would like to remind you, Mr. President, that arresting and charging labour leaders for participating in peaceful marches is a clear demonstration of disrespect for internationally recognized workers' and democratic rights. It is also in clear contravention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions 87 and 98 on the right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. These conventions are fundamental to the ILO and as an ILO Member Iran has an obligation to respect and enforce the principles enshrined in them. The ICFTU therefore urges you to take immediate measures to ensure that charges are dropped and that the four labour leaders’ attempt to celebrate Labour Day will have no further repercussions. Once again, we also call upon you to launch an independent investigation into the repression of their legitimate attempt to celebrate Labour Day. I look forward to your swift and decisive action in this matter. Yours sincerely, General Secretary
Mehdi Kouhestaninejad
President C.U.P.E Local 3261
President Metro Toronto C.U.P.E Council
Tel (416) 946-7620
Fax (416) 946-7621
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