The trial of Ismail Abdi, the imprisoned General Secretary of the Iranian Teachers\u2019 Trade Association (ITTA), opened on Saturday 30 January at Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court according to latest reports from Iran.<\/p>\n
The charge sheet against Mr Abdi who has been in custody since June, includes charges such as participating in demonstrations of teachers, \u201ccolluding with intent to harm national security”, “propaganda against the regime” and “disturbing the public order”. All charges are directly related to Mr. Abdi\u2019s activities as the general secretary of the ITTA and to organisation of and participation in protest demonstrations by the teachers\u2019 trade union in late 2014 and the spring and early summer of 2015 demanding improvement in the pay and conditions of teachers.<\/p>\n
Mr Abdi was prevented from leaving Iran on 21 June 2015 on his way to the Republic of Armenia to obtain a visa for travelling to Canada to participate in the Congress of Education International.\u00a0 Mr Abdi was ordered to present himself at Evin prison in Tehran for interview about the circumstances relating to the confiscation of his passport at the border.\u00a0 He was arrested and refused bail.\u00a0 Trade unions across the world protested against Mr Abdi\u2019s arrest and imprisonment, demanding his immediate release.\u00a0 Leaders of Education International, the ICTU, TUC, NUT, UCU, NASUWT, UNISON and Canadian teachers\u2019 unions sent letters of protest.<\/p>\n
CODIR calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Abdi and all other imprisoned trade union activists in Iran.<\/p>\n
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Further Information <\/strong>CODIR has campaigned from the outset for the release of Mr Abdi and other teachers\u2019 trade unionists in Iran.\u00a0 For more background information about these and other cases, please see the September 2015 issue of Iran Today<\/em> (https:\/\/codir.net\/?p=122<\/a> ) and visit our labour news page at https:\/\/codir.net\/?cat=3<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n