Esteemed colleagues and educated teachers,

Today’s rally is held at a time when parts of the regime, in open opposition to Articles 26 and 27 of the [national] Constitution, have directed a massive wave of attacks against trade unionists across the country.

And this [the actions of the trade unionists] has been merely to protest the abandonment of Article 30 of the Constitution, and the violation of the rights of millions of students and their families, over the past three decades.

It is unlikely to be a common occurrence anywhere [else] in the world for a regime to sentence the nation’s teachers to harsh punishments just because they reminded those in power to comply with the laws of the land.

Esteemed colleagues and teachers across the country,

More recently, part of the regime, in an indecent and cowardly act, attempted to link the noble, lawful, and demanding authentic/independent movement of us teachers – which is decades old – to the invisible hands of foreigners.  However, we teachers have always strongly protested [against the spectre of] the greatness of our homeland being invaded by foreigners under devious designs and policies.

While condemning these cheap [underhand] accusations, we expect the authorities to hear the voice of the peaceful and decent protest of the teachers’ community.

Dear colleagues, students, and parents,

We have gathered here today to be the voices of the oppressed teachers who have been imprisoned [simply] for striving for better education and improving the livelihoods of teachers and [sector] retirees.

The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA)‎ strongly condemns the acts of violence against the educators and the recent arrests, and declares the demands of the educational workers as follows:

1. The unconditional release of imprisoned teachers.

2. An end to the violent treatment of educators as well as the framing, summoning, and threatening of trade union activists.

3. The immediate release of all teachers arrested in Tehran, Bushehr, Marivan, and other parts of the country in the past week.

4. The urgent address of the demands of Esmail Abdi, the teacher who now in his seventh year in prison is on the twelfth day of a hunger strike despite suffering from various illnesses.

5. The implementation of the Management of Civil Services Act.

6. The proper effecting of the job ranking and pay equity of pensioners’ salaries.

7. The proper deference by the authorities to the Constitution, and the implementation of Articles 26, 27, 30 and Chapter III of the Constitution, in which the rights of the nation are enshrined.

Finally, we ask the Minister of Education to advocate for the civic rights of all teachers who are doing their jobs within his jurisdiction of responsibility, rather than threatening the teachers.

The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA)12 May 2022