It is little wonder then that the youth of Iran, alongside the working class, are in the forefront of the current wave of protests. They are not only protesting about the state of things at present but also against the lack of future opportunities.<\/p>\n
As this year has progressed protests have become more widespread.\u00a0 During the 10 days of protests in early January at least 25 demonstrators were killed by the regime\u2019s security forces and thousands were arrested.<\/p>\n
One group is particularly targeted for cruel treatment: activists for human and democratic rights including trade union rights.\u00a0 In recent weeks a number of cases have hit the headlines, two trade union leaders and internationally known lawyer campaigning for women rights.\u00a0 These cases are highlighted below.<\/p>\n
Case 1- Esmail Abdi, Teacher trade unionist<\/strong><\/p>\n Esmail Abdi is incarcerated in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran after being\u00a0sentenced to a six-year jail sentence in 2016.<\/p>\n He has committed no crime and the convictions are based solely on\u00a0his legitimate union work, including organising peaceful demonstrations in protest against poor wages, the inadequate education budget, and the imprisonment of teacher trade unionists. He was also charged with associating with Education International, the global union for teachers.<\/p>\n In a statement Mr Abdi said: \u201cUnfortunately, despite the continued monitoring of developments in Iran by human rights\u2019 and international organizations such as Amnesty International, International Labour Organization (ILO), Education International (EI), the wave of repression has actually increased and now extended directly to the presence of security forces in schools and factories.<\/p>\n In protesting against the massive violations of civil rights of teachers and workers in Iran, and in demanding an open trial and lawful treatment of my case, and entitlement to my leave of absence according to article 520 of the Penal Code, and medical leave of absence (which is now currently illegally blocked), on Tuesday, 17th of April 2018 I shall commence my hunger strike. Any consequence or ramification of this hunger strike is the sole responsibility of the Judiciary.\u201d<\/p>\n The International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran reported that in prison, Abdi is kept in harsh detention conditions, denied communication with the external world, and his wife and three children are not given permission to visit him.<\/p>\n His wife reported that she has not been given any information about her husband\u2019s circumstances and health since 1st March. She raised serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of her husband.<\/p>\n Abdi\u2019s attorney, Amir Salari, has said that, \u201cWe hold all government officials \u2013 from the head of Judiciary, the Supreme Court, Attorney General, Prosecutor of Tehran district, President, Minister of Intelligence and other security officials \u2013 responsible and accountable for any harm to Mr. Abdi\u201d.<\/p>\n Case 2- Mohammad Habibi, Teacher trade unionist<\/strong><\/p>\n The Council for Coordination of Teaching Syndicates has issued a statement protesting the sentence imposed on Mohammad Habibi, a teacher union activist. The council has called the verdict a good example to measure judicial fairness in Iran. The Council has also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Habibi.<\/p>\n \u201cThe judge\u2019s motive behind this verdict is to send a warning to the society: If you are pursuing justice, you will face prison and lashing\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The unlawful and violent arrest of Mohammad Habibi, a member of the board of the directors of the Teachers Union Association of the Province of Tehran, took place on 10th<\/sup> May this year. \u00a0The arrest appalled both teachers and society as a whole, attracting widespread condemnation.<\/p>\n The legal process and the location of detention all point to the fact that there is an extrajudicial will to impose an unlawful ordeal on this jailed teacher. Annulling the bail and a request made to unlawfully transfer Habibi to Tehran are examples of the lack of due process and infringement on the rights of the accused. Sadly, this is not the whole story. Mr Habibi was denied urgently needed medical attention. Such negligence coupled with deplorable prison conditions could lead to a tragedy if the status quo persists.<\/p>\n In June, a letter signed by 6,500 teachers and civil rights activists demanding the release of Mr Habibi was delivered to the Iranian Parliament.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/codir.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Esmail-Abdi-and-Monireh-Abdi-2.jpg\")
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