H.E. Mr Hamid Baeidinejad

Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

16 Prince’s Gate

LONDON

SW7 1PT

By email: iranemb.lon@mfa.gov.ir

Tuesday, 3 December 2019

Dear Ambassador,

On behalf of UNISON’s 1.3 million members, working in public services in the UK, I am writing to express our deep concern at the government of Iran’s brutal and deadly crackdown against thousands of people who participated in recent protests, triggered by the government imposed increase in fuel prices.

Security forces have used live ammunition against protestors, killing at least 208 people, according to Amnesty International. Other recent, credible reports suggest that the death toll is likely to be higher, with thousands injured and several thousand arrested, although access to information has been limited by the internet shutdown.

UNISON condemns the use of excessive and lethal force to crush these largely peaceful protests, and requests that you urge your government to:

• End the use of lethal force against protestors;
• Respect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression;
• Immediately and unconditionally release the thousands of people who have been detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest;
• Provide access to medical treatment and legal representation to all those who have been detained;
• Respond to legitimate concerns of protestors regarding government policies, including the price of fuel and the denial of workers’ and human rights.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Prentis

General Secretary

CC . The Rt Hon Dr Andrew Murrison, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa