Campaigning for change; human and democratic rights, including trade union rights; and justice in Iran is a hazardous act! Iranian teacher trade unionists have lived this experience and reality as they are sacked, attacked, and imprisoned.

The regime treats trade unionism as treason punishable accordingly with the harshest of responses.

Strikers are often fired and risk arbitrary arrest and detention, while labour leaders are regularly prosecuted under serious catch-all national security charges and sentenced to long prison terms thereafter.

CODIR has called upon the trade union and labour movement internationally to rally around, and stand in solidarity with, the detained Iranian trade unionists and teachers. CODIR is calling upon all those standing for human and democratic rights to write letters of protest to the Iranian authorities, via the diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, demanding the unconditional release of their innocent counterparts currently languishing in the theocratic regime’s prisons and detention centres.