No 51 solidarityciwm@gmail.com 15th Nov.

2017

Special edition:
Mahmoud Salehi

solidarity committee with the Iranian workers movement abroad

strongly condemn the arrest of Mahmoud Salehi
and other labor activists
At 12 noon on Saturday, while Mahmoud Salehi, a member of the
Iranian Labor Movement activist, returned from the hospital after
kidney dialysis, whilst not having a healthy physical condition, he
was arrested by a number of security forces and sent to the central
prison of Saghez.
Physically, Mahmoud Salehi is in a bad condition and his health in
prison is in grave danger. Such inhumane encounters by the
repressive forces of the Islamic Republic's capital system, continues
to pressurize the activists of the labor movement and prosecute
them, and the regime, with these tricks, is trying to eliminate labor activists from struggling to
achieve their rights.

Mahmoud Salehi needs constant medical treatment and his health is in grave danger; any incident
and adverse consequences will endanger his life; and the Islamic Republic will be responsible
directly. Only by resorting to harassment, arrest, torture, issuing decrees to imprison and detaining
labors and teachers activists, the Islamic Regime has been able to sustain its existance up to
present. But, certainly, it could not be able to cope up with regard to cutting jobs, arrears wages,

In this Issus:
- solidarity committee with the Iranian... P. 1 - Message from Najiba Salehzadeh P. 2
- A report on the latest status of Mahmoud P. 3 - Mahmoud Salehi in chain P. 4
- Statement of a group of workers and P. 5 - Gozareshgaran appeal in P. 5
- IndustriALL calls on Government of P. 6- Unionist in danger of death in ... P. 7 -
- The immediate release of Reza P. 8 Urgentn action P. 10

(*) -About us: The Committee in Solidarity with the Iranian Labor Movement - Abroad" consis
of solidarity groups and individuals outside of Iran that support Iranian Workers' struggle for:
(1) Democratic rights and economic justice ;(2) Exposing anti- labor policies of the Islamic
Republic of Iran ;(3) Building bridges between the Iranian and international workers' movements.
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 2

repressions and arrests, which become wider every day. Workers, teachers and other poor toilers
and hardworking masses in such conditions, have no choice but to protest and fight for their rights.
Regimes respond to these protests and struggle is to beat, arrest and the imprisonment of the
workers. Jailing Mahmoud Salehi, Reza Shahabi, and other activists of the Iranian labor movement,
will only increase the hatred of workers and toiling masses against the regime.

The creation of an atmpspher of fear, intimidation, and arrest of labors and teachers activists, and
other free thinkers who are in dungeons of the Capitalist Islamic Republic, will put forward a
responsibility for us that we stand firmly against these arrests universally and with widespread
efforts. We have to campaign vastly and contineously in worlwide level, pleading pulicly to pressure
regime and demanding to free Mahmoud Salehi, Reza Shahabi and other political prisoners in Iran
unconditionally.

The solidarity committee with the Iranian workers movement abroad, strongly condemn the
arrest of Mahmoud Salehi and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Supporting labor
activists, helping them to maintain their health and trying to save them from jail, is the task of the
activists of the workers' movement, the supporters of this movement and all freedom fighters. With
struggle and public protest nationwide will try to save the life of Mahmoud Salehi and Reza Shahabi
from the grip of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mahmoud Salehi, Reza Shahabi and other workers activist must be released unconditionally now!

Message from Najibeh Salehzadeh on the occasion

of the arrest and imprisonment of
Mahmoud Salehi Workers' Activists!

Freedom people!

Our warm greetings

Undoubtedly, You are aware that Mahmoud Salehi

was arrested and detained on Saturday, October 28th.
You can hear the description of our event and our
concerns about the general status of Mahmoud in our
language.

On Saturday, (October 28th), at the end of the weekly

dialysis of Mahmoud, we were leaving the hospital, Najibeh Salehzadeh
which suddenly surrounded by four of our law enforcement officers and threatened Mahmoud
despite our protest and opposition to his physical condition after Dialysis, he was taken to court.
There, along with the announcement of the sentence, they escorted him to execute the sentence to the
central prison. The arrest without warning was followed by an appeals court order that turned 9 years
of suspended prison sentence into a decree.

Dear Friends!
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 3

What worries me and other members of the Mahmud family is

not a one-year prison sentence for Mahmoud because the prison
is proud to defend our class interests and our class for Mahmoud
and we are proud, an important issue that we are family
members. We are concerned about Mahmoud, and we are very
worried about it, his very bad physical condition. Mahmood
should be dialyzed twice a week, he is severely suffering from
heart disease and he should be reopened for a third time, blood
pressure, diabetes and, in general, his physical condition is not
good at all.

Defenders and activists of the labor movement!

Mahmoud Salehi has been expelled, and imprisoned twice for defending of the working class and
ending the exploitation of man by mankind and defending the same way that you are defending the
working class. We the family members of Mahmud and his friends expecting you and your loved
ones, in turn, to protest about the imprisonment of Mahmoud and other prisoners of conscience. Give
our protest and litigation to workers, trade unions and other libertarians whose goal and effort is to
create a world free of oppression and imprisonment, and call for the release of Mahmoud and other
political prisoners. We greet you once again and expecting you to defend the working class who are
srugglibg to end the exploitation of man by mankind and defending the same way that you are
defending the working class.

In solidarity,

Najiba Salehzadeh, spokesperson for the defending committee of Mahmoud Salehi

October 29, 2017

A report on the latest status of Mahmoud Salahi: Going back

to prison means death

Mahmoud Salehis legs are chained to the hospital bed,

although he is being watched by 3 government officers.
Midnight on Friday, 3rd of November, at 1:30 in the
morning Mahmood Salehi woke up from chest pain and
nausea and shortness of breath.
One of the detainees noticed Mahmouds condition and he
was transferred to the prison clinic. Then he was taken to
the Khomeini Hospital of Saqez due to his severe
deterioration and admitted to CCU.
The Doctors said about what happened to Salehi in
prison: he had a heart attack.
Mahmoud Salehi has been more or less admitted to the
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 4

hospital till this day (November 7th).

His doctor said about the latest situation of Mahmoud Salehi: he should be transferred to Tehran or
Tabriz as soon as possible to put a battery in his heart because of weakening of his heart pump.
The forensic Medicine also confirmed and stated in writing that his imprisonment would be
dangerous to him and that he should not remain in prison.
The judiciary does not give any answers to the family of Mahmoud Salehi and they only are delaying
things, and this has only caused even more concern for this labor activist' family.

Mahmoud Salehi in chain

Is the chain that has shackled Mahmoud Salehi to the hospital bed, only to constrain a human, a
worker, a freedom fighter, somewhere in Iran? Isnt it a fetter on all of us, who are oppressed,
dispossessed, deprived, disparaged and all who struggle
for freedom and justice in this ailing society? It is a clear
action of violence by state functionaries who protect the
existing capitalist order in Iran. Is there a louder scream
than this to inform us about the open and hidden chains
that have enslaved us in such wretched capitalist
conditions? Isnt that we just have to be human and not
even social activist, in order to hear these piercing voices
raised by thousands of struggling people?

Mahmoud Salehi with his honorable and courageous

struggle demonstrates to us, how we are in chain. This is
a chain around all of us that has wrapped up the frail
body of Mahmoud. He is not alone and by feeling the cold fetter that has shackled him, we raise our
voice louder in order to free him of chain.

Akbar Masoum Baigi, Kamal Khosravi, Hasan Mortazavi

Statement of a group of workers and labor activists in

condemnation of Mahmoud Salehis arrest and
for the freedom of all imprisoned labor activists

Workers, labor organizations and freedom loving people!

Saturday October 27, Mahmoud salehi, a well-known labor activist was arrested. His arrest in front
of the hospital gate, was based on his conviction on September 16, by a court in the city of Sanandaj,
on the basis of membership in dissident organizations, to seven and half years of hard labor. Later,
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 5

the sentence was reduced to one year hard labor by the review court in Kurdestan province.
Confinement happens while Salehi, due to his loss of kidneys is in need of dialyzation twice a week.

Support for the basic democratic and union rights, causes strong reactions by the security forces,
when thousands of workers are up to organize themselves independently. We, as workers and labor
activists believe that efforts for attaining labor rights, in particular formation of independent self-
organizations are not only a crime but are among the basic social right for workers.

We condemn imprisonment of all labor activists among them Mahmoud Salehi who is sick and we
are concerned about his life. We demand release of Mahmoud Salehi and all detained labor activists.

Abdollah Balvasi, Vahed syedeh, yousef Ab Kharabat, Yadi Ghotbi, abbas Karimi, Fardin Miraki,
Bahram Gorgan, Said Ali Hoseini and Yadi samadi

Gozareshgaran appeal in protest

for the re-arrest of Mahmoud Salehi
and in condemnation of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Freedom will not be given, it should be taken!
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the
oppressed. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
To the freedom fighters and to the international working class community!
The Islamic Republic, in its continuation of the serial killings and silencing labor
activists in Iran, and after driving Afshin Osanlo, Shahrokh Zamani, Kuorosh Afshin Osanlo
Bakhshandeh and Mohammad Jarahi to the verge of death, who imprisoned Reza
Shahabi, who has critical physical health conditions, in the notorious dungeon, under
inhuman pressures. Then, the capture and torturing of Mohammad Nazari, Ismail
Abdi, Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi, Mohsen Omrani, and Rasoul Bedaghi, by its
security guards and plain clothes Gestapos arbitrarily re-arrested Mahmoud Salehi,
who was This action has led to a wave of disgust & abhorrence and condemnation S. Zamani
of the regimes authorities leaving hospital after his dialyzes.
And its agents (henchmen), therefore, the labor activists and labor organiza- tions
abroad are preparing for national & global protesting actions. Labor activists and
political prisoners inside prison, with their protests and long-term hunger strike, cry
out for justice, and they are raging against the ruling class policies for depriving them
of the basic human rights as well. For years, noble, honest and mili tant people such
as Reza Shahabi and Mahmoud Salehi have been in the cross-fire of the regimes K. Bakhshandeh
judicial authorities. They have neither life, nor financial securities and their arrest is
every days discourse.
Based on our historic experiences & documented evidence, we know that the ruling
class in Iran, have no regard for the public opinions and social political prisoners
families at all, and in any condition, it applies its sinister intentions on these activists.
Therefore, all of the labor activists and labor advocates of Iran, with the most possible
solidarity together, with their power, putting the Islamic Regime on the verge of im- M. Jarahi
passe, believing that unconditionally, they could release Shahabis and Shalehis other
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 6

R. Shahabi M. Nazari E. Abdi M. Beheshti R. Badhaghi M. Omrani M. Salehi

social and political prisoners as well.
We, the undersigned, along with all of the other protests and actions, whilst condemning these anti-
labor and anti-human acts in Iran, demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mahmoud
Salehi and Reza Shahabi, and all other social and political prisoners.
Gozareshgaran
http://gozareshgar.com
gozareshgar1001@yahoo.de
29/10/2017
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
Email: info_leader@leader.ir or contact@leader.ir

IndustriALL calls on Government of Iran

to release Mahmoud Salehi and Reza Shahabi

15.11.2017
IndustriALL Global Union has written to the Government of Iran to demand the release of
Mahmoud Salehi, Reza Shahabi and other imprisoned trade unionists. The union activists are
seriously ill and need urgent medical attention.

IndustriALL has received reports from Iranian affiliate the Union

of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran (UMMI), as well as from
other free and democratic Iranian civil society organizations, of
the persecution and detention of workers and trade union leaders
for exercising their fundamental trade union rights. UMMI is
campaigning in solidarity with these imprisoned workers, and has
issued a call for support.

The Iranian government pursues a strategy of homicidal negligence towards jailed union activists, by
subjecting them to severe torture, medical neglect, extended and repeated imprisonment and gross
mistreatment.

Long-time labour activist, Mahmoud Salehi, who has been in and out of jail for the past thirty years,
was re-imprisoned on 28 October 2017. On 3 November 3, Mr. Salehi suffered a heart attack and was
taken to hospital from the prison; however, he was shockingly transferred back to prison on 11
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 7

November despite the fact that only 30 percent of his heart is functioning. Mr. Salehi has lost both of
his kidneys during his imprisonment and must undergo kidney dialysis in the hospital twice a week.
The life of Mahmoud Salehi will be in grave danger if he remains in prison.

Reza Shahabi, an executive board member of Tehran Bus Workers Union (Vahed Union), has been
in and out of prison since 2010. He was re-imprisoned on 9 August 2017. Mr. Shahabi also has
serious health issues, allegedly because of years of mistreatment and torture during his interrogations.

In a message from prison, Reza Shahabi said:

The support of workers and defenders of workers and human rights in Iran and internationally,
will be the only guarantor of my freedom and the freedom of
my incarcerated colleagues.
IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches wrote to
President Rouhani of Iran, saying:

IndustriALL Global Union once again urges the Government

of Iran to ratify ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association
and Protection of the Right to Organize, and Convention 98 on
the Right to organize and Collective Bargaining.

We call on the Government of Iran to put an end to arrests

and repression of labour activists, and we reiterate our call for
the immediate and unconditional release of Mahmoud Salehi,
Reza Shahabi and all other jailed labour activists.

Unionist in danger of death in Iran

Your excellence

French trade unions CFDT, CGT, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA, draw your attention to the situation of
Mahmoud Shalehi, a trade union leader in danger of dying in an Iranian prison.
Mahmoud Salehi was sentenced in September 2015 to 9-year imprisonment. On Saturday, October
28, 2017, he was arrested by four plainclothes officers while he was leaving the hospital where he
goes twice a week for dialysis. The unionist was taken to the Saqqez court in Iran's Kurdistan
province, where the prosecutor said the initial sentence had been commuted to one year, with
immediate effect. Mahmoud Salehi was transferred to Saqqez Central Prison for execution of his
sentence.
Mahmoud Salehi suffers from several heart and kidney diseases, the consequences of the medical
negligence during his 2015 imprisonment. He was transferred to Khomeini Hospital in Saqqez City
after a heart attack in prison on November 3rd of this year. Prison medical authorities believe that
Salehi must receive appropriate treatments out of prison.
He is currently without proper care and his health is becoming critical. He must therefore be
immediately transferred to a hospital outside the prison environment.
Mr. Shalehi's detention, like that of other jailed workers, is in violation of basic human and trade
union rights. The Islamic Republic of Iran is failing to honor its commitments under international
labor conventions, as a member of the ILO, including recognition of the right of Iranian workers to
establish their independent organizations.
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 8

We, the French trade unions, call for the annulment of these unjust and unfair condemnations of
international rights and the immediate and unconditional release of all activists imprisoned for their
trade union activities, in particular Reza Shahabi and Esmail Abdi.
We call on your government to provide appropriate and dignified care to Mahmoud Shalehi and his
immediate and unconditional freedom.

CFDT : preau@cfdt.fr
CGT : fabienne.cru@orange.fr
FSU : michelle.olivier@snuipp.fr
Solidaires : contact@solidaires.org
UNSA : emilie.trigo@unsa.org

Copies to:
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran : Hassan Rouhani
The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran : High Council of Human Rights
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Embassy oft he Islamic Republic of Iran
generalsekretaer@eda.admin.ch
Deputy@iranembassy.ch

The immediate release of Reza Shahabi and Esmail Abdi

Excellencies Berne, 6 November 2017

Dear Sir and Madam

On behalf of the Swiss Trade Union

Confederation SGB/USS we demand the
immediate release of Reza Shahabi. We
express our wholehearted support and
solidarity for Reza Shahabi who is
currently on a hunger strike in opposition
to his torture and treatment as trade
unionist and democrat.
SGB/USS urges the lranian authorities to
take all necessary measures for the
immediate and unconditional release of
Reza Shahabi and Esmail Abdi, detained for reasons connected with their activities in defence of the
interests of workers. Reza Shahabi, the executive board member and Syndicate of Workers of Tehran
and Suburbs Bus Company has been renewed detention again on August 9, 2017. According to the
prosecutor 's office, stated to Reza Shahabis wife, Shahabi has to be in prison until December 22,
2018.
Esmail Abdi, a leader of the Tehran Teacher Trade Association sentenced to six years in jail on
bogus charges, was transferred to hospital as a consequence of his 38 days of hunger strike in protest
of the continued repression of teachers and the lack of judicial indepen-dence in Iran. He was
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 9

returned to Evin Prison two days later. Esmail Abdi was briefly released on bail in June only to be
rearrested on 27 July.
Mr. Shahabis and Mr. Esmail Abdis continued imprisonment sorely contradicts lran's international
obligations. The detention of trade unionists for reasons connected with their activities in defence of
the interests of workers constitutes a serious interference with civil liberties in general and with trade
union rights in particular. At least the lLO Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) called on
you to lift the sentence against Mr Shahabi and requested that he should not spend any more time in
prison.
We are very concerned about the harsh detention conditions imposed on them and fear for their
safety and wellbeing.
Adresse
Berne, 6 November 2017
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
generalsekretaer@eda.admin.ch
Deputy@iranembassy.ch
2
The international community and we hold your government responsible and accountable for any
worsening of their situation. Terminate the detentions.
Sincerely yours
SWISS TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION
Luca Cirigliano
Head of International Affairs

URGENT ACTION
IRANIAN PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
CRITICALLY ILL

Prisoner of conscience Mohammad Nazari, who has been unjustly languishing in prison for
over two decades, is critically ill and needs urgent medical care outside prison. He has been on
hunger strike since 30th of July, demanding his release from prison. He must be released
immediately and unconditionally.
The health of prisoner of conscience Mohammad Nazari, 46, who
has spent half of his life in prison, has seriously deteriorated as a
result of his prolonged hunger strike. He has undertaken a hunger
strike since 30th of July in protest to his unjust imprisonment and
the refusal of the authorities to review his conviction and sentence,
which followed a grossly unfair trial and stemmed from his
peaceful support of the political goals of the Kurdish Democratic
Party of Iran (KDPI). He has lost about 25 kilograms in weight, his
blood pressure has repeatedly dropped, and he has become so
physically weak that he can no longer walk or talk. He also suffers
from several general health problems including heart disease, for
which prison doctors have long said herequires specialized medical
care outside prison. The authorities have consistently ignored such
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 10

advice. On 19th of October, Mohammad Nazari was transferred to a hospital outside prison on an
emergency basis, but he was returned to prison after one night without receiving adequate treatment.
Despite his deteriorating health, Mohammad Nazari has said that he will continue his hunger strike
until he dies, unless the authorities grant his repeated requests for a fair review of his case.
Mohammad Nazari was arrested aged 23 in May 1994 by Revolutionary Guards officials in Bukan,
West of Azerbaijan Province. He was held for over a month in solitary confinement, first by the
Revolutionary Guards and then by the Ministry of Intelligence. He has said that, during this period,
he was subjected to torture including beatings, kicking, and flogging on the soles of his feet, and
threats made against his sister, in order to make him confess to being involved in an alleged
assassination plot against a number of people affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards. No evidence
of the plot or his involvement in any armed activities was presented in court. Amnesty International
believes that the allegation was fabricated, and that the real reason for his arrest was related to his
political beliefs. Following a grossly unfair 30-minute trial before a Revolutionary Court in the city
of Mahabad in West of Azerbaijan Province, Mohammad Nazari was convicted of enmity against
God (moharebeh) and sentenced to death. The court issued its verdict based on his forced
confessions, despite Mohammad Nazari repeatedly telling the court they had been made under
torture and that Ministry of Intelligence officials had told him they knew the story of the alleged
assassination plot had been fabricated. Mohammad Nazaris death sentence was commuted to life
imprisonment in 1999. He has since submitted numerous requests for retrial but apparently none of
them have been considered by the authorities. At no point during his detention or trial did he have
access to a lawyer. He has also never received an official copy of the verdict.
Please write immediately in English, Persian, or your own language, calling on the Iranian
authorities to:
Release Mohammad Nazari immediately and unconditionally as he is a prisoner of conscience
targeted solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association through
expressing sympathy towards the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran;
Ensure Mohammad Nazari is given immediate and regular access to specialized medical care
outside prison, which complies with medical ethics, including the principles of confidentially,
autonomy and informed consent.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 4th DECEMBER 2017 TO:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Aziz Street Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency
Prosecutor General of Tehran
Abbas Jafari Dolat Abadi
Office of the Prosecutor
Corner (Nabsh-e) of 15 Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Mr.
And copies to:
Deputy for Human Rights and International Affairs, Ministry of Justice
Mahmoud Abbasi, Number 1638, Vali Asr Avenue, Tehran,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: dr.abbasi@sbmu.ac.ir
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local
diplomatic addresses below.
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Alternative Workers News-Iran No. 51 - P. 11

Latest news

Announcement No. 9 Committee for the Defense of Mahmoud Salehi: Mahmoud Salehi Returned to
the prison . The judiciary and the regime's information in a joint decision made any attempt to leave
Mahmoud Salehi and his family failed, and today, on Saturday, November 11, Mahmoud Salehi was
returned to the prison with a sick and heart patient who needed urgent medical treatment.
The defense committee of Mahmoud Salehi, condemning this inhumane decision, calls for all
workers' organizations and libertarians inside and outside Iran to respond quickly to this inhuman
action.
The Defense Committee of Mahmoud Salehi November 11, 2001

Reza Shahabi , Mahmoud Salehi

And all other labor activists

Must be free Now!