Iranian Workers Threatened With Flogging

international | worker & community struggles and protests | other press Thursday February 28, 2008 15:54 by pat c

Urgent appeal to trade unions and human rights organisations around the world to join our protest

Yet another Iranian Trade Unionist is threatened with flogging by the Iranian Theocratic Regime. His "crime"? Participating in "illegal" Mayday demonstrations. Here is an appeal from Iranian Trade Unionists, support them in their struggle against the Iranian Dictatorship.

A summons for the administration of a flogging has now been issued for Tayyeb Chatani for participating in the May 1st event last year. Mr Chatani works at Par Rees factory, where he is an active shop steward. Eleven of the workers arrested for taking part in the May 1st event last year in Sanandaj were sentenced to 91 days in prison and 10 strikes of the lash. The Appeal Court changed the sentences to fines, but upheld the sentence of 10 lashes. So far, the lashing have been carried out in the case of 3 workers: Seddigh Amjadi, Habibollah Kalekaani and Faares Gaviliaan. The only crime of these workers is having participated in the May Day ceremony in Sanandaj.

Mr Chatani and the other workers do not intend to report to the court so they may be arrested and the sentences may be carried out at any moment. NUDU members as well as workers of Shahoo Factory and their families, have decided to assemble outside the court should these workers be detained for the sentences to be carried out.

Fellow workers, labour and human rights organisations around the world!

We appeal to you, to your conscience and humanity, to join our protest. We call on you not to let workers be flogged for taking part in May 1st events. The issuing and execution of the sentence of lashing for workers in Iran for taking part in May Day celebrations is a lash on May Day; a lash on the honour of this day; a lash on the honour of worker. Join us and demand, on a world scale, the immediate revoking of the sentences of lashing for workers in Iran.

National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers of Iran

25 Feb 2008

http://www.ettehade.net

k.ekhraji@gmail.com

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

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