Teacher Union Activist Soleiman Abdi Arrested in Saqqez

On March 19, 2023, security forces arrested teacher union activist Soleiman Abdi at his home in Saqqez and took him to an undisclosed location. The agents also searched the house and seized some of his belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, on March 19 2023, Soleiman Abdi, a member of the Saqqez teacher union association, was arrested by security forces.

The reasons for his arrest and the place of detention are still unknown.

Soleiman Abdi faced other arrests for his civil activities as a teacher union activist on prior occasions.

 

 

Teachers and Other Citizens Stage Nationwide Rallies against Poison Attacks on School Students

On March 7, 2023, following mounting serial poison attacks with toxic gas on school students in dozens of schools across Iran, the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA), called for protests. In response to this call, teachers, educators, parents of poisoned students and other citizens rallied before the Ministry of Education headquarters in at least 25 cities. Also, the students held similar protests at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran and the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

The protestors demanded maintaining security for students against the recent chemical attacks on schools. The protesting teachers also asked for teacher’s union demands including the implementation of the “Job Ranking Plan” as passed in Iran’s parliament, closing pension disparities, adjusting the pension with inflation, updating lesson plans and materials, the release of jailed teachers, and stopping the State TV’s smear campaign to divide between teachers and people.

During these protests, several teachers including Golamreza Gholami Kondazi and Mohammad-Ali Zahmatkesh in Shiraz, Baha Maleki and Rahman Abedini in Sanadaj and several students’ parents in Karaj were arrested by security forces. Maleki and Abedini are still in detention, and the rest were released after a few hours.

Moreover, according to CCITTA, security forces injured two protesting teachers with air guns in Sanandaj.

On the same day, several families of death-row prisoners gathered before Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj to demand halting executions. At present, in this prison, at least seven inmates convicted of drug-related crimes are in danger of imminent execution.

The videos below show these protests in several cities:

Gezel-Hesar Prison, Karaj, the protest of death-row prisoners’ families

Sanandaj

Mashhad

Babol

Karaj

Shiraz

Qazvin

Saqqez

Sari

Ahvaz

Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Allameh Tabataba’i University

Other Cities

Four Teacher Union Activists Sentenced to Imprisonment

The Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced four teacher union activists of Divandarreh, Omid Shah-Mohammadi, Parviz Ahsani, Kaveh Mohammadzadeh and Hiva Ghoreishi to imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Omid Shah-Mohammadi to five years in prison on the charge of “acting against national security.” Parviz Ahsani, Kaveh Mohammadzadeh and Hiva Ghoreishi were also given five-year suspended sentences for the same charge.

On August 28, 2022, these teachers were released on a 1.5 billion tomans bail until the end of legal proceedings.

Their pre-trial detentions were extended three times.

Omid Shah-Mohammadi faced other arrests and convictions on a prior occasion for his civil activities.

 

Teacher Union Activist Jafar Ebrahimi Sentenced to Five Years

On November 27, the Tehran Court of Appeals upheld a five-year sentence against teacher union activist Jafar Ebrahimi.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, teacher union activist Jafar Ebrahimi was sentenced to five years in prison.

In late October 2022, the Tehran Revolutionary court sentenced him to four years on the charge of “assembly and collusion” and one year on “propaganda against the regime.” He was also banned from leaving the country and from membership in political and civil groups for two years.

Based on article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, four years for the first charge will be enforceable to him.

Last week, Ebrahimi was hospitalized due to poor health conditions.

Ebrahimi is a teacher and Tehran Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association member. In February of this year, he was sentenced to four years and six months in another legal case.

 

 

Three Teacher Union Activists Sentenced to a Total of 15 Years in Prison

The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Rasoul Bodaghi, Jafar Ebrahimi and Mohammad Habibi to a total of 15 years and one-month imprisonment as well as additional punishments.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, three teacher union activists Rasoul Bodaghi, Jafar Ebrahimi and Mohammad Habibi were sentenced to over 15 years in prison.

Attorney Ramin Safarnia wrote on social media, “Bodaghi was sentenced to four years and six months on the charge of ‘assembly and collusion’ and one year on the charge of ‘propaganda against the regime’. For Jafar Ebrahimi, the sentences for the exact charges are four years and one year, respectively. Mohammad Habibi received three years and seven months on the first charge and one year on the charge.”

Moreover, all three defendants were banned from leaving the country and membership in civil and political groups.

 

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Teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah Arrested

On October 8, 2022, security forces arrested Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah, the members of the Teachers’ Trade Association of Mariwan and one day later transferred them from Mariwan to Evin Prison in Tehran.

These teachers union activists were arrested at their houses in Mariwan.

On May 1, 2022, Lotfi and Nikkhah were also arrested by security forces and then released on bail on August 20.

The reason for these arrests and the charges are still unknown.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at least three protests took place in Iran.

For the second consecutive day, several medical assistants protested before the Ministry of Health in Tehran. The protestors mentioned the flaws in designing test questions for the medical certification exams as one of the reasons for their protest.

A number of citizens who lost their money due to the corruption and fraud in the Tehran Stock Exchange held a protest in Tehran.

A group of the Shushtar Municipality’s staff gathered in front of Major’s office to protest against unpaid wages and premiums for three months.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On September 12, 2022, at least two protests took place in Iran.

On Monday, September 12, death-row prisoners’ families demonstrated in front of the headquarters of the Judiciary in Tehran. Carrying placards with the slogan “Don’t Execute”, they demanded the judicial authorities stop the executions. Yesterday, the police arrested several protestors. The reports obtained by HRANA confirm that currently, eight individuals are held in detention.

 

In Isfahan, several citizens protested against the way the units in commercial buildings have been allocated.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On September 10-11, 2022, at least eleven protests and two labour strikes took place in Iran.

Saturday, September 11

The families of prisoners who are on death row continued their protests before the Justice Building in Tehran. They asked judicial authorities to stop executions. According to HRANA’s latest statistics, there are 46 death-row convicts in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

 

In Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, a group of women’s rights activists gathered in front of the Justice Building to ask for safety for women following Shalir Rasouli’s death at a hospital last Thursday. Rasouli threw herself out of the window of her apartment to escape an assailant.

Along with their families, Achondroplasia (a genetic disorder) patients held a protest before the Food and Drug Administration in Tehran. They demanded supplying and importing their needed drugs such as Voxzogo.

In Alborz province, a group of citizens protested against demolishing a ski resort which is a tourist attraction.

A group of Urmia residents demonstrated to demand rescuing Urmia Lake from drying up completely.

 

Sunday, September 11

The families of prisoners presently on death row continued their protests before the Headquarters of the Judiciary in Tehran. They demanded stopping the executions.

The pensioners of the Fulad Pension Fund demonstrated in front of the building of this fund in Isfahan, Tehran and Ahvaz. They demanded addressing pensions disparities and a 38% increase in pensions.

The workers of the Rudbar’s Municipality protested to demand unpaid wages for the last two months and accumulated unpaid wages equivalent to four-month wages during the last year. Moreover, there are some unpaid benefits like severance and overtime pay accumulated during the past nine years.

In Tehran, a group of teachers and families with exceptional children protested against new restrictions on school transport service in front of the Special Education Organization.

In Asaluyeh, The workers of the petrochemical company Dena went on strikes to protest against the two months of non-payment.

The temporary workers of the Islamabad Petrochemical Company staged a labour strike to demand the last two months’ wages.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, at least two protests took place in Iran.

The families of prisoners presently on death row in Ghezel Hesar Prison and Karaj Central Penitentiary protested before the Judiciary building in Tehran. These protestors held placards asking to stop executions.

Residents of Mariwan held a protest demanding security for women, following Shalir Rasouli’s death at a hospital, a woman who threw herself out of the window of her apartment to escape an assailant.