Two days of rally outside Sanandaj Prison and Court to protest Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention!

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Tuesday March 25, 2008 18:08

by pat c - The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi

For Immediate Publiction.

Important Updates as of March 24, 2008

On March 23, 2008 in response to a call by the Committee in Defence of Mahmoud Salehi, workers and labour activists from the cities of Sanandaj, Karaj, Kamyaran, Rasht, Tehran, Oshnovieh, Saqez, Boukan gathered outside the central prison in Sanandaj to protest Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention beyond his scheduled 23 March 2008. This rally took place from 8:00 AM to 12 PM and protesters vowed to continue their protests until Mahmoud Salehi is freed. The prison authorities who felt the pressure from the protesters explained that Mahmoud had not yet been released because the judicial offices have been closed due to the Iranian New Year holidays.

Mahmoud’s family went to the Sanandaj Justice Department on Monday March 24th to make inquiries about the excuses to keep Mahmoud behind bars and to demand his immediate freedom. They were again supported by about labour activists and family members. This protest that lasted about three hours was surrounded by security forces. One participant, named Behrooz Sohrabi, was arrested and harassed and reportedly beaten. After protesters demanded his release they freed him a couple hours later.

The judiciary authorities promised to allow Najibeh Salehzadeh, Mahmoud’s wife, to visit him today at 4 PM and that they would issue a release order for Mahmoud to be freed from prison on Wednesday, March 26th. Najibeh along with Mahmoud’s brother and sister went to the court and protesters at the same time submitted a petition in which they demanded Mahmoud’s immediate freedom. Since these kinds of promises have been made before, protesters will continue their actions until Mahmoud Salehi is freed.

According to the latest report by the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, Mahmoud ended his dry hunger strike on Monday, March 24th after meeting with his wife and family members at 4:00 PM. Mahmoud’s family, on behalf of the protesters as well as all concerned friends asked him to stop his hunger strike. Mahmoud appreciated all efforts by protesters and everyone else and agreed to stop his dry hunger strike, but he said he will immediately start a wet hunger strike as of March 24th until he is freed from prison( wet hunger strike usually means only drinking water or Tea but no food at all ). Mahmoud’s dry hunger strike lasted seven days.

The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi reports that there are new charges against Salehi in addition to ‘communicating with those outside prison for the purposes of issuing messages of solidarity ...’ They are also charging Salehi in relaton to two incidents during which there were protests in prison agianst the quality and quantity of food and the prisoners’ refusal to eat as well a protest action by the prison’s inmate cleaners for a better weekly pay.

Mahmoud Salehi was on a total (dry) hunger strike since March 17, 2008. There has been mounting concerns for his life. Many labour organizations and activists have urged Salehi to end his dry hunger strike, but he has expressed his determination that either he has to be rightfully freed from prison or he would continue with his hunger strike. Salehi’s lawyer, his family and many labour and progressive organizations in Iran and abroad have strongly condemned the refusal by the government authorities to free Salehi on March 23rd, 2008. His lawyer has told in an interview that judicial authorities must be hold accountable for any harm done to Salehi. Protest actions in support of Salehi, such as the one mentioned above, need to continue urgently until government authorities withdraw their new charges against Salehi and release him from prison. Other actions are being organized in different countries by the activists of Iran ’s labor movement abroad, and numerous labour, progressive and human rights organization internationally have issued statements.

For more information contact: info@workers-iran.org or alliance@workers-iran.org.

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran

Background Information: http://www.workers-iran.org

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

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Amnesty International & trade union bodies condemn repression against Mahmoud Salehi

by pat c

Tue Mar 25, 2008 18:17

This is the latest Amnesty statement regarding the treatment of Mahmoud Salehi. Full text at link.

Amnesty International, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) are calling on the Iranian authorities to
immediately and unconditionally release Mahmoud Salehi, the former leader of the Saqez
Bakers’ Union, who was imprisoned in 2007 for the pursuit of legitimate trade union
activities.

He has reportedly been accused of ‘communicating with those outside prison for the
purposes of issuing messages of solidarity’ for other individual prisoners on hunger strike
and students facing arrest. The new charges appear intended to justify Mahmoud Salehi’s
continued detention beyond his scheduled 23 March 2008 release date, when he will have
completed a one year prison sentence.

Amnesty International, the ITUC and the ITF are concerned that the new charge may
have been brought against Mahmoud Salehi in response to the international mobilisation
on 6 March 2008 by trade unions and Amnesty International members around the world
to demand his release and that of his fellow trade unionist, Mansour Ossanlu (or
Osanloo).

Mahmoud Salehi is a prisoner of conscience and has long-term medical needs. A May
2007 request by his doctor that he be accorded specialist treatment outside the prison has
been ignored. He suffers from chronic kidney disease, as a result of which he requires
dialysis. He is also said to suffer from a heart disorder. In December 2007 it was reported
that he had grave intestinal edema or swelling that may be connected with his renal
disease. His health continues to be at serious risk, and he is reported to regularly
experience fainting episodes in prison as a result of blood pressure problems.

Mahmoud Salehi has fully stopped his hunger strike

Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:22

This report is from http://kdmahmodsalehi.blogfa.com It was translated by Yassamine Mather
Other articles in English are available at the site.

According to the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, Mahmoud was transferred to court on March 29, 2008 where he presented his final defense regarding charges that he is facing. He was then taken back to the Sanandaj’s Prison.

Mahmoud’s family met him in court and once again asked him to stop his hunger-strike and informed him about all the requests and appeals, and solidarity hunger-strikes, in Iran and abroad thus convincing him to completely end his hunger strike.

Mahmoud who has finished his one year sentence as of March 23rd is facing new charges and his release has been on hold despite his serious illness. There have been numerous protests in Iran and abroad for his immediate and unconditional release.

Mahmoud Salehi was on a total (dry) hunger strike since March 17, 2008. He ended his dry hunger strike on March 24th after meeting with his wife and family members but immediately began a wet hunger strike. The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi reports that there are new charges against Salehi in addition to ‘communicating with those outside prison for the purposes of issuing messages of solidarity ...’ They are also charging Salehi in relaton to two incidents during which there were protests in prison agianst the quality and quantity of food and the prisoners’ refusal to eat as well a protest action by the prison’s inmate cleaners for a better weekly pay.

Amnesty On Mahmoud Salehi

Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:37

You can access all Amnesty International publications featuring Mahmoud Salehi at:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/ai_search?keywords=mahmoud+sa...8bc82

Deputy Prosecutor vows not to release Mahmoud Salehi

Thu Apr 03, 2008 15:10

Here is the latest update on Mahmoud Salehi. He is still being detained despite the fact that his legal prison term ended on March 23, 2008. Full text at the link below.

Deputy Prosecutor of Kurdistan province vowed on April 2, 2008 not to release Mahmoud Salehi, said Samrand Salehi, Mr. Salehi’s son. According to Samrand Salehi, after requesting a letter from the central prison in Sanandaj assuring Mahmoud Salehi had ended his hunger strike and after rejecting a 40 million toman ($40000) bail that was set by the judge who is handling the new charges against Mr. Salehi, the Deputy Prosecutor of Kurdistan province, Mr. Amjadi vowed to not release Mahmoud Salehi as long as he holds office in Kurdisran’s Justice Department.

Samrand said that Mahmoud Salehi have not been receiving any medical treatment lately and his father’s health condition is deteriorating in prison. He said if the authorities in Kurdistan do not move towards mahmoud Salehi’s freedom in coming days, family and friends might stage a protest in front of the judiciary offices in Tehran.

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Two days of rally outside Sanandaj Prison and Court to protest Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention!

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