Davoud Rafii, a worker fired from the Pars Khodro car plant in 2012 for his union activities, has been flogged 74 times for “insulting” the Iranian regime’s former Labour Minister.
Ever since he was sacked, Mr Rafii has been lobbying the relevant authorities for his reinstatement. He has repeatedly picketed the Iranian regime’s Labour Ministry, with placards denouncing the Labour Minister of the time, Ali Rabii. The slogan on one of his placards read: “Down with America. Down with the Labour Minister. Down with Israel.”
Although the 74-lash sentence had not been confirmed, it was still carried out on November 26th.
Mr Rafii is one of many activists detained on May Day 2019. He has also been arrested several times in protests against his dismissal.
There have been many cases of workers in Iran receiving flogging sentences in the past few years. The Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign strongly condemns this medieval punishment for workers fighting for the most basic of trade union rights, pay and conditions. We call on all trade unionists, socialists and other political activists to help us in defending the rights of all workers, social rights’ activists and political prisoners in Iran.
Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign
28 November 2020
Source: Telegram channel of Trade Union of the Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company
Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign 