Workers flogged for participating in May 1st actions in Iran.

international | worker & community struggles and protests | other press Tuesday February 26, 2008 14:45 by pat c

This an extract of a letter from The National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers of Iran To the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) regarding workers being flogged for participating in May 1st actions in Iran. Full text at the link.

Dear Friends,

As you are aware the police and security forces assaulted last year’s peaceful May 1st rally in the city of Sanandaj, battered workers, and arrested 13 of them. Among them were Mr. Shays Amaani and Mr. Seddigh Karimi, President and Executive Committee member of our union, respectively. They were released on a $50,000 bail each after 42 days in detention. The court sentenced them to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment. We appealed, but the Court of Appeal has not yet given its verdict.

http://www.ettehade.net

On 14 Feb 2008 the court issued an unofficial summons ordering Mr. Seddigh Amjadi, one of the 11 convicted workers, to appear before it on 16 Feb. The court forced his family to pay the fine and executed the 10 lashes on him on the spot.*

Issuing and executing the mediaeval verdict of lashing in the case of the workers in Iran should sound the alarm for the world working class as a whole, and we expect you, dear friends, as well as all workers of the world, to respond to it with all possible might.

While we are truly grateful for what you have done so far for the Iranian workers, we ask you, dear friends in the ITUC, to protest against the lashing of Mr. Seddigh Amjadi. We request that you urgently act to demand the ILO and all concerned bodies that the mediaeval verdict of lashing, as well as fine, in the case of Sanandaj workers for participating in May 1st rallies must be overturned immediately. Please register this letter with the ILO as our official complaint, and demand the banning of self-appointed labour representatives of Iran from that organization.

Respectfully,

National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers of Iran
E-mail: k.ekhraji@gmail.com
www.ettehade.net

[Translated by the International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran www.kargaran.org]

* Two other workers - Fares Gaviliaan and Habibollah Kalekaani - were flogged on 19 February – Translator’s note