Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign

Thank you to everyone who helped with the campaign to free Shahrokh and Reza. We tried to hand in the petition to the Iranian Embassy on Wednesday but they wouldn’t answer the door to us!

Originally posted on: http://archive.radiozamaneh.com/english/content/labour-activist-arrested-worker-unrest-grows

Labour activist Hatam Samadi has been arrested by plainclothes officials and transferred to an unknown location.

The Coordination Committee for Establishing Labour Organizations issued a statement saying committee member Hatam Samadi was arrested at 10 AM at his workplace and his arrest has been reported to his family by the Sanandaj Intelligence Bureau.

Ribvar Abdollahi, another committee member, was arrested and stood trial on February 4 for the charge of propaganda activities against the regime, receiving a one-year jail sentence. The trial reportedly lasted a few minutes.

Abdollahi has been released on bail of 700 million toumans.

The committee was established to help Iranian workers fight for their rights, and labour protests have become a common occurrence in recent years with continued factory closures and delays in wage and benefit payments.

Petition hand in – protest at the Iranian Embassy.

On February 11th we will gather at the Iranian Embassy to hand in our petitions. February 11th is the official celebration of “Revolution Day” in Iran, where the Iranian state celebrates a distorted history of the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian Revolution was made by the Iranian workers, fighting against the Shah but also against their bosses. Their revolution has been taken away from them. We have chosen this day to protest at the Iranian state’s treatment of the labour movement that fought for freedom in 1979 and continues to fight for freedom today.

February 11th – 5.30pm for 6pm start – Iranian Embassy 16 Prince’s Gate, London, SW7 1PT

Bring banners

On Saturday night poets and spoken word artists will be performing in a gig to raise awareness and funds for Shahrokh and Reza.

Saturday 10th Jan, Union Tavern, 52 Lloyd Baker Street, wc1x 9aa London, 7pm

From facebook:

Shahrokh Zamani has been in prison in Iran since 2011, sentenced to 11 years for trade union organising. Shahrokh is part of the paint workers union in Tehran. Reza Shahabi has been in prison since 2010 for trade union organising. He is the treasurer of the Tehran bus workers union. Both have been tortured whilst in jail, resorted to hunger strikes and have medical conditions which require treatment.

We will be speaking up for Shahrokh and Reza and raising funds for their legal defence and for other trade unionists in prison in Iran.

Attila the Stockbroker, Michelle Madsen, Tim Wells, Emily Harrison, Sam Dodd, Janine Booth, Chip Grimm & more TBC

https://www.facebook.com/events/525135557629235/536573826485408/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

The Noel Park branch of the the Labour Party passed the following motion on Sunday. The motion will now go up to the Horsey and Wood Green Constituency Labour Party meeting.

1. That Shahrokh Zamani of the Tehran painters’ union has been in prison since the start of 2012, and RezaShahabi of the Tehran bus workers’ union since 2010, on charges of “acting against national security by establishing or membership of groups opposed to the system” – ie working to establish independent trade unions.

2. That both have suffered severe mistreatment, torture and denial of medical facilities in prison.

3. That both have gone on hunger strike in protest at their own treatment but also the treatment of other prisoners. More info:https://shahrokhzamani.wordpress.com

This branch believes

1. That more than three decades after Iranian workers toppled the Shah’s brutal dictatorship, they are repressed by a similarly despotic regime.

2. That the Islamic Republic of Iran represses any attempt to set up independent unions or organise strikes. Beatings, (often unlawful) arrest and torture are routinely used against labour activists.

3. That despite this Iranian workers continue to struggle. September and October 2014 saw important struggles by iron ore, car, ceramics and sugar workers.

4. That Western-imposed economic sanctions against Iran are making the situation for Iranian workers harder, both economically and politically.

The branch resolves:

1. To circulate information about the campaign to freeShahrokh and Reza to our members.

2. To encourage members to sign the petition and write to their MP asking them to sign the Early Day Motion tabled by John McDonnell MP (EDM 52).

3. To issue a short statement of solidarity.

4. To send this motion forward for the consideration of the GC.

We have now passed the 2000 signatures point, at the latest count we had just over 2100 signatures.

This week we collected over 300 signatures on the National Demonstration for Free Education. We also did the first of our commuter petitioning sessions and collected 50 signatures. Campaigners have also collected signatures at Kurdish solidarity events, the Defend Julie Davies lobby and in other campaign meetings.

Thank you also to rail workers in Nottingham who posted us some signatures this week.

Last week Lewisham National Union of Teachers association passed a motion in support of Shahrokh and Reza. Earlier in November Southwark NUT did the same.

Thank you  to those teachers for their support.

Will you consider getting your trade union or student union to do the same, use the model motions below and let us know if you do!

Shahrokh and Reza trade union model motion

Student union motion Shahrokh and Reza

Motion passed by Lewisham NUT

Thank you to Kate who has tweeted the change.org petition today. Please retweet and spread the message!

I had a meeting with the Iran campaigner from the International Secretariat of Amnesty yesterday to discuss campaigning around Shahrokh and Reza. She will be talking to AI UKs Iran campaigner to discuss getting local Amnesty groups to campaign around Shahrokh and Reza. She will also be looking at opening case files on Shahrokh and Reza and monitoring their situation.

Keep tuned for further information as I have it.

Gemma

On behalf of the Shahrokh and Reza campaign