According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kordpa, on May 5, 2021, a border regimentâs direct shot wounded cross-border laborer Masoud Mohammadi, a resident of Nanour village in Baneh.
According to the report, Mohammadi was shot directly and without any prior notice by the border regiment, and then taken to a medical center for treatment in Baneh.
Kolbars’ work is difficult, largely-unregulated manual labor that people do in border areas with high levels of unemployment. Dozens of kolbars are injured and killed yearly from accidents, dangerous conditions, and border guard shootings.
A section of 2020 The Annual Report of Iran Human Rights addresses the citizens who have been killed or injured by military forces.
According to the report, border guards and law enforcement murdered 36 and wounded 109 kolbars in 2020 alone. An additional 5 workers were killed and 4 injured due to climactic and geographical working conditions such as frostbite-inducing temperatures, avalanches, and falling from great heights.
On the occasion of International Workersâ Day, or May Day, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) highlights the ongoing denial of the full enjoyment of workersâ rights in Iran; namely workplace discrimination, child labour, violations of the right to form and join labor unions and the suppression of the right to peaceful assembly and association often resulting in unfair trials, arbitrary detention, and torture at the hands of Iranian officials. The following article provides a brief overview of the situation of labour rights in Iran as well as identifies several individuals known to be responsible for violating the rights of Iranian workersâ and labour rights activists. The noted violations are in stark contrast to Iranâs International human rights obligations (including ratified ILO Conventions, CRC, ICCPR, and ICESCR) and therefore should not go unpunished.
The Situation of Labour Rights in Iran
The Right to Form and Join Labour Unions
In the past year, a total of 593 workers’ protests and 738 trade union protests have reached the media and or civil society organizations.
Among the most important labor events in Iran over the past year the following workersâ protests can be mentioned; Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers, Kut-e Abdollah Municipality, Heavy Equipment Production Company (HEPCO) in Arak, railway technical lines and buildings, and the union protests of teachers, retirees and social security pensioners.
Over the past 12 months, various cities in Iran have witnessed various forms of protest movements by Iranian workers. A wide range of workers have taken to the streets due to non-receipt of their monthly salaries and disregard for their insurance claims, and some of these workers have gone on strike and protested for up to 30 months of wage arrears. Thus, 114 labor strikes and 3 union strikes have taken place.
The level of cohesive demand of different sections of the working class has been unprecedented in the past year. Repression and sabotage and non-recognition of the rights of trade unions and independent labor organizations, arrest and imprisonment of several labor activists, as well as the denial of the right to protest were among the reasons for the dispersal and disorder of some labor rallies and protests.
Many workers have been summoned, arrested or convicted on charges such as holding a peaceful rally on International Workers ‘Day, protesting against low wages, signing statements in support of trade unions, posting photos of workers’ demonstrations on the Internet or receiving invitations to attend world trade union meetings.
At least 37 workers and labor activists have been arrested in the past 12 months. Among the most important of these arrests are the arrests of four Haft Tappeh workers’ activists, five Kut-e Abdollah Municipality workers, six participants in a rally in support of the Haft Tappeh workers, and tens of nurses and teachers.
Additionally, 46 labor activists were sentenced to 636 months in prison and 3,108 floggings, 51 people were summoned to judicial and security authorities, 1,331 were fired or suspended from work, 4,224 were unemployed, 28,493 uninsured workers and 4,224 uncertain of their work situations.
Also, in the field of unions and syndicates, a total of 47 arrests of union activists, 30 monthsâ imprisonment for 2 union activists, 50 summonses to judicial-security authorities and 132 cases of closure of places have been reported.
Both the ICCPR (Article 22) and ICESCR (Article 8), to which Iran is a State party, guarantee the right to form and join labor unions. However, under Iranian law, there exists no express right to form labor unions that are independent of the State. Claiming âsecurity concernsâ, workers may only be represented by a select group of State sanctioned bodies. Nonetheless, groups like the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Workersâ Syndicate and others continue to form and gather to protest widespread violations of labour rights. The Haft Tappeh Workersâ Syndicate is a union responsible for the organization of several protests regarding violations of workersâ rights â notably, withheld wages, unfulfilled promises, and the arbitrary detention and torture of many of their members.
The violations against the Haft Tappeh Workersâ and others are not only in contrast to the core human rights treaties to which Iran is a State party but also ILO Conventions. As a founding member of the International Labor Organisation (ILO), the Islamic Republic of Iran was one of the first countries in the sub region to join the organization. Iran has ratified 13 ILO conventions including five of the eight so-called core conventions. These conventions are legally binding upon signature.
In addition to poor working conditions labor rights activists are increasingly peacefully protesting discriminatory practices in the workplace, minimum wages set below poverty lines as well as increasingly low pensions, only deepening the economic hardship felt across the country.
Discrimination in Iranian Law
Iranâs national legislation remains discriminatory as a matter of law. Although the Iranian Constitution includes protection for labour rights, all legislation must be in line with Islamic principles (Article 4). This interpretation of the law allows for women and religious and ethnic minorities to face increased discrimination in the workplace based in Islamic principles. Likely in part due to these practices, the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Report placed Iran at number 147 out of 153 for economic participation and opportunity.
Child Labour
The number of Working Children in Iran is between 3 to 7 million, while this figure is estimated at 20,000 for Tehran, yet considering that most working children do not have proper identifications; it is not possible to provide a more accurate statistics regarding the actual number of working children in Iran.
National legislation prohibits children under the age of fifteen to work. However, in practice, child labour remains present at an alarming rate. Iranâs obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibit child labour in any form. In addition, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed grave concern at the alarming number of children employed in hazardous conditions. Iran should ensure full compliance with international child labor standards, including in the CRC and relevant ILO Conventions.
Women in the Workplace
Prohibition of child labor and the provision of free education for children, the establishment of the highest level of safety standards in the workplace, the elimination of discriminatory laws for migrant women and workers are other demands of the working community.
Despite the fact that Iranian women workers are described as the cheapest labor force in the country, the employment situation of women is more precarious than men, and at the same time as noted above they have far less legal protections, salaries and benefits.
Female workers have less bargaining power than their male counterparts. At the same time, production and industrial units are less inclined to employ married women, and in some cases employ single women with a commitment not to marry or become pregnant.
The situation of working women in small workshops is much worse. Half of the workers in the kilns are women who work in onerous conditions.
Spreading Justice: Labour Rights Violators- at a glance
Omid Asadbeigi, Morteza Bahmani, Sadegh Jafari Chegeni, and Mustafa Nazari, all profiled in Spreading Justice are responsible for countless violations against Haft Tappeh workers, labor rights activists supporting them, and journalists documenting the unrest.
– Omid Asadbeigi, Owner and Managing Director of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Agro-Industry Co (hereinafter Haft Tappeh), is known to have arbitrarily withheld wages of his employees in addition to colluding with law enforcement agencies and the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to intimidate and exploit workers. These actions are in stark contrast to obligations under the 13 ratified International Labour Organization Conventions to which Iran is a signatory. Significantly, amongst the Conventions ratified by Iran are: The Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) and the Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 (No. 95). The ILO Conventions are legally binding upon signature. According to the legal review conducted by HRAs Spreading Justice Legal Consultant, Brian Currin, âIt is evident that Asadbeigi does not only fail to comply with the most basic obligation of an employer, namely the payment of wages, but in addition he colludes with law enforcement agencies and the judiciary of the Islamic Republic to intimidate and exploit workers.â
– The Shush Security Police have been responsible for the unlawful arrests and detention of workers and have forcefully suppressed workersâ right to protest and strike. Morteza Bahmani is the head of the Shush Security Police and is responsible for and directly involved in the aggravated assault and torture of workers at Haft Tappeh as well as labor rights activists considered to be their supporters. As stated by SJ Legal Consultant, Brian Currin, âMorteza Bahmaniâs actions are the antithesis of what is expected of a State that is a founding member of the ILO and should be condemned by the international community that embraces the practices, ethos and values of the ILO.â
– As the chief of the Shush Judiciary, Sadegh Jafari Chegeni has committed countless human rights violations, particularly workersâ rights violations. According to the workers of Haft Tappeh, Sadegh Jafari Chegeni was one of the main perpetrators of the repression of protesting Haft Tappeh workers. In addition, evidence of his involvement in the economic corruption involving the CEO of Haft Tappeh (Omid Asadbeigi noted above) has also been publicly mentioned by Haft Tappeh workers.
– As the prosecutor of Shousha, Mostafa Nazari has been directly involved in and responsible for widespread human rights violations, especially the rights of workers, as well as the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. According to numerous reports, he was one of the main perpetrators of the crackdown on the protesting workers of Haft Tappeh as well as their unfair judicial treatment.
*It is of note that the violators highlighted in this report are merely a select few. For more information on the violators within, please view the profiles in their entirety by clicking on the individual names.
A Statistical glance at the Situation of Iranian Workers 2020-2021
In Iran, Labor Day comes at a time when the privatization of state-owned factories and companies continues without regard to the long-term interests of workers.
According to Human Rights Activists in Iranâs (HRA) statistics department, a review of labor reports published in the last 12 months (April 30, 2020 to April 27, 2021), indicates at least 9,367 workers were killed or injured in work accidents.
Injuries:
At least 7577 workers were injured at work in the past 12 months. In 12 official reports or comments at the national and provincial levels, officials reported that 7073 people were injured. In addition to the official reports, Civil and labor rights activists reported another 504 cases of injuries at work.
Deaths:
At least 1790 workers lost their lives in work accidents in the past 12 months; Officials and relevant agencies reported the deaths of 1,545 workers in 9 official reports, while independent organizations reported 245 deaths of workers that were not mentioned by official reports and authorities.
Actual numbers might be a lot higher
It should be noted, even though statistics above are many, the reality might be much harsher due to lack of transparency of the responsible institutions, many of work incidents are not reported and thus do not make it to the media.
To better understand this issue, “Iran announced that 15,997 people lost their lives in work-related accidents in the last 10 years (2008-2018), 15,767 were men and 230 were women.” This means that an average of 1,600 people has lost their lives each year in work-related accidents over this decade.
According to these statistics, the main cause of death in work accidents is falling from a height. In the last ten years, that is about 41.5% of total casualties at work accidents. Iran ranks 102nd in the world in terms of occupational safety.
Occupational Accident Classification Chart
HRAâs Statistic Department: Occupational Accident Classification Chart (May 2, 2020 to April 27, 2021)
Wage Arrears
According to statistics compiled by HRAâs statistic Department, at least 34,318 workers have more than 2,313 months of wage arrears.
However, it should be noted that among the published reports on wage arrears, a large number of reports did not mention the number of workers awaiting wage arrears, which is one of the important factors in the impossibility of providing accurate statistics of workers claiming arrears.
Poverty line and low wages
On Sunday March 14, 2021, the Supreme Labor Council implemented a 39% increase in the minimum wage, that is the minimum monthly salaries were increased from 1 million and 912 thousand Tomans to 2 million and 650 thousand Tomans.
Although the Iranian government has refused to officially announce the poverty line, economic activists believe that the minimum wage is still well below the poverty line even after this increase.
Also, the members of the Supreme Labor Council increased the workers ‘food rations to 450,000 Tomans and the workers’ housing allowance to 600,000 Tomans. It should be noted that housing allowance is not implemented yet and to be implemented must be approved by the Council of Ministers and then be included in the next year’s payroll of workers.
These figures are being ratified while the head of the labor faction of the 11th parliament has previously stated that even if the minimum wage rises by 100 percent, workers purchasing power will not return to normal.
In addition, the increase of workers’ salaries by a small amount to 2 million and 650 thousand Tomans has been approved while recently the head of the Supreme Association of Trade Unions, referring to the announcement of the Central bank that poverty line is at 10 million Tomans, said: âLast year the poverty line was 6 million Tomans, which has increased by 4 million Tomans this year.â
On the other hand, Faramarz Tofighi, the workers’ representative in the wage determination committee, had previously said: the acceptable cost of essentials (food, etc) is 6 million and 895 thousand Tomans. This is while in the final agreement, the minimum wage for the year 1400 (Jalali Calendar) is set at only 2 million 656 thousand Tomans, and this is about 3 million Tomans less than what the workers representatives indicated as cost of essentials.
In addition, Ali Asgarian, Deputy of Public Participation of the Relief Foundation, announced: According to the monitoring of the monthly observation center, which defines food poverty line by 1800 sampling points, now the food poverty line is 670 thousand Tomans per person and if the family consider three people with the minimum wage, many working families are below the poverty line or at the food poverty line. He added that about 20 million people in the country need support; “Currently 6.5 million people are covered by the Relief Foundation and there are about 7 million other people who have similar conditions but are not covered by this organization. There are also another 14 million people in need in the country who are not receiving any assistance.â
The minimum wage set by the Supreme Labor Council, according to many experts and labor activists, is much lower than the real inflation rate in the country and lower than the value of the household consumption basket. This is another reason for the continuation of the protests of the working community of the country.
Obligations
Violations against labor rights activists and workers alike are in stark contrast to Iranâs international human rights obligations namely, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), and relevant ILO Conventions. Iran should ensure full implementation of the noted mechanisms and protect the rights of workersâ by removing discriminatory barriers to workplace participation particularly on women and ethnic and religious minorities. In addition, HRA calls on the international community to hold the above and all perpetrators accountable for their actions against Iranian workersâ ending the widespread impunity enjoyed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This Article has been prepared by Spreading Justice team, For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]
In honor of the International Day for Safety and Health at work on April 28th, 2021, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) highlights the alarming number of work related deaths and accidents that took place in Iran from May 2020 to April 2021. As a founding member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and a signatory of 13 ILO Conventions, including 5 core conventions, Iran must be held accountable for failing to comply with obligations and for continuing to allow employers to disregard employee safety in such a way that continually leads to death and injury.
Iran ranks 102nd in the world in terms of occupational safety. According to the Statistics Center of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), from May 2, 2020 to April 27, 2021: work-related accidents due to lack of safety at the workplace or unsatisfactory working conditions resulted in the deaths of at least 1,790 workers. This number is drawn from HRA research pulled from media reports and organizations active in the field.
In addition to the 1,790 reported deaths due to work-related accidents, there are 7,575 reported cases of injuries at the workplace; this number is aggregated at HRAs statistics department through research compiled from media and organizations active in the field. It should be noted that the highest number of work accidents occurred in Khuzestan, Tehran, and Isfahan provinces, respectively. The below chart demonstrates the sectors most affected by the failure to ensure the safety and health of workersâ.
The ongoing denial of the full enjoyment of workersâ rights leading to injury and death has also led to frequent gatherings of labor rights activists demanding change. These gatherings are often met with suppression and further exacerbate the violations of labor rights through denial of the right to peaceful assembly and association; and even sometimes leads to arbitrary detention, unfair trials, and torture. Unsatisfactory working conditions leading to alarming numbers of work-related injury and death could be mitigated by implementing domestic policies which protect workersâ safety as well as allow for the transparent monitoring of employers compliance to said policies. Iran should ensure full adherence to international labor standards and uphold the rights of all Iranians in the workplace and elsewhere.
Occupational Accident Classification Chart
HRA’s Statistic Department: Occupational Accident Classification Chart (May 2, 2020 to April 27, 2021)
Branch 26 of Tehranâs Revolutionary Court sentenced Hirad Pirdaghi, Roham Yeganeh, and Farid Lotfabadi to imprisonment and lashes. According to this verdict, Hirad Pirdaghi was sentenced to six months imprisonment on the charge of âassembly and collusionâ. Roham Yeganeh and Farid Lotfabadi were sentenced to six months imprisonment and 74 lashes which are suspended for four years. They were arrested on August 3, 2019, during the gathering of the families of detained workers of Haft Tappeh by Tehranâs Revolutionary Court building. The day after their arrest, they were transferred to ward 209 of Evin Prison. Their trial was on February 9, 2020. They were released on bail on August 27, 2019.
It should be noted that when Mr. Pirbodaghi went to Branch 7 of the prosecution office at Evin Prison on September 21, 2019, to pick up his personal belongings, he was rearrested because his bail was increased. On September 28, 2019, he was released on a 400 million Toman bail.
On October 20, 2019, the mayor of Kut-e Abdollah, Navab Hajian Saeidi, confirmed the arrest of 13 city workers. He claimed that the arrestees were encouraging other city workers to cease work to put the municipality under pressure so the contractor filed a lawsuit against them. The mayor added that the workers’ unpaid wages of August was paid recently, and these workers demanded direct employment by the municipality due to the increasing rate of unemployment. On the other hand, one of the city workers of Kut-e Abdollah reported in June 2019 that they have requested their unpaid wages several times from the municipality without receiving any response. According to this worker, their salary is inadequate for their living expenses and they do not receive it on time.
The city workers of Kut-e Abdollah had protested several times in front of the Khuzestan governor’s building during May-June 2019. The city park workers have refused to work since May 28, 2019 demanding their unpaid wages.
Kut-e Abdollah is a city and capital of Karun County, Khuzestan Province. On 23 January 2013, Kut-e Abdollah village was merged with the villages of Khazami, Darvishabad, Shariati-ye Yek, Kut-e Navaser, Kuy-e Montazeri, Gavmishabad, Gondamakar and Hadiabad and created a city.
On October 14, 2019, Nahid Khodajoo was sentenced to a 6-year prison term and 74 lashes by the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court. Based on the Article 134 of Iranâs Islamic Penal Code, the charge with the highest penalty will be considered; this means that she should serve five years in prison.
Nahid Khodajoo is a member of the board of directors of the Free Union of Iranian Workers. She was arrested along with several others during the protest gathering on the International Labor Day on May 1, 2019, in front of the parliament in Tehran. She was released on bail on June 3, 2019.
Her trial was on August 1, 2019 at the Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court and her final hearing was on August 10 at the Branch 4 of the Evin Prosecution Court. Her lawyer, Manijeh Mohammadi was present at her final hearing. In the incitement against her, she was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of âassembly and collusion against national securityâ and one-year imprisonment on the charge of âdisturbing public orderâ. According to the Article 134 of Iranâs Islamic Penal Code, the charge with the highest penalty will be considered; this means that she should serve five years in prison for the charge of âassembly and collusion against national securityâ.
According to the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Labor Syndicate, the contracts of 150 workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Argo-Industry have not been renewed. However, Governor of Khuzestan Province denied the cancellation of these workersâ contracts. The new round of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Argo-Industry workers protests started on September 23, 2019, after 21 other workers of the company were laid off.
According to the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Labor Syndicate, the name of some of the workers who were laid off are as the following:
Fereidoun Hashemi Mahmoudi, Mohsen Heydari Rad, Jasem Bani Chaab, Tofigh Heydari Al-Kasir, Azim Kasir, Peyman Norouzi, Bashir Al-Kasir, Foad Al-Kasir, Mousa Al-Kasir, Mehdi Al-Kasir, Ahmad Al-Kasir Badavi, Mehdi Sahnavi, Samsam Al-Kasir, Hamid Chenani, Seyed Ghasem Parvaz, Ahmad Kord, Hadi Majdian Nasab, Abas Oghabi, Seyed Ayoub Tafahi, Yaghoub Saadi, Seyed Esmail Jaaveleh, Mansour Saadeh, Adnan Mansouri, Hossein Hamdani, and Yousef Khanehshir.
Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Argo Industry was founded in the 1960s in the city of Shush, in Khuzestan Province. It is the oldest sugar factory in Iran. Since 2015 due to the privatization deal based on article 44 of the constitution was transferred to the present owners. It has four thousand workers and employees and is located 15 kilometers south of the Shush city.
In addition, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), Manjil city workers reported that they have not been paid their wages for three months and have unpaid bonuses of 2018. They were complaining that not only they receive the minimum wage but they feel threatened by a lack of job security and unpaid wages .
According to Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), the contracts of 20 workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcan Argo Industry have not been renewed. According to workers of this company, a notice signed by the administration supervisor, Ebrahim Ouraki, was sent to the several workers regarding the termination of their contract. This notice was sent to these workers on the final day of their contract which contrasts with the promises made by the Khuzestan government officials. Four or five laid off workers gave speeches during the meeting with Ahvazâs Friday Prayer Imam, Mousavi Jazayeri, and the representative of Wali-Faqih (the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) in which they asked for his assistance to resolve the companyâs problems.
The name of some of the works who were laid off are as the following:
Mohammad Khanifar, Reza Poorjenani, Saheb Zahiri, Mahmoud Sadi, Adel Abdolkhani, Samir Ahmadi, Hamzeh Al-Kasir, Iman Khezri, Karim Miahi, Fazel Chabizadeh, Ashkan Goudarzi, Masoud Loveymi and seven others.
Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Argo Industry
The protests of the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Argo Industry started on March 28, 2018 in front of the Shush governor compound. Subsequently, the prosecutorâs office of Shush summoned several workers. The workers went to the prosecutorâs office three days later but were informed that their session was rescheduled. On the same day, 10 protester workers were arrested. The Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane industrial complex union reported the strike of more than five hundred workers of this company from July 29, 2018. The protesters demanded an end to the privatization of the company and alleged houses to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, firing the executive board members of the company, and sustain the current director of the company. These protests periodical continued till August 2018. In November 2018 these protests were accompanied by protests of the workers of Iran National Steel Industrial Group (INSIG) and continued till late December.  Esmail Bakhshi and Ali Nejati are two prominent labor activists of Haft Tappeh Complex who have been arrested during the protests. Bakhshi was arrested in November and was released on bail in December 2018. He was charged with âdisruption of public orderâ, âassembly and collusion against national securityâ, and âparticipation in forming a groupâ, âintended to disrupt public securityâ. On December 2, 2018 he reported his return to his workplace.
Ali Nejati, who is a labor activist and a member of the managing board of the labor union representing employees of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company, was arrested by security forces on November 29, 2018 on the charges of “disrupting public order”, “collusion and assembly against national security” and “cooperation in establishing a group intended to disrupt peace and security”. He was transferred to the Shush prison on December 24, 2018. He was taken to the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Baghaei Hospital due to the deteriorating health for his heart. He is suffering from heart disease and a prolonged detention can have dire health consequences and might even endanger his life. In January, his family reported about his inappropriate detention condition. Nevertheless, his verdict was changed to release on bail, but he is still in detention.
On January 4, 2019, Esmail Bakhshi wrote an open letter and spoke out about abuse and torture he suffered in detention from Intelligence Department authorities during his detention. After that, Sepideh Gholian, a civil rights activist who was arrested during workers protests supported him. Bakhshi and Gholian have been rearrested after the broadcast of their under-torture confessions on the national television. They have been transferred from Sheiban and Sepidar prison in Ahvaz to Evin prison in Tehran on April 28, 2018 for their court hearing. In June 2019, a group of Haft Tappeh workers submitted an official complaint to the International Labour Organization regarding the ongoing suppression of protests and the detention of peaceful demonstrators and journalists. They published a list of Haft Tappeh workers or their families who have been summoned, arrested, threatened, or interrogated.
On August 13, 2019, seven workers of this company were sentenced to eight months imprisonment and 30 suspended lashes by the Branch 102 of the Criminal Court of Shush. Moreover, on August 26, 2019, nine workers of this company were sentenced to eight months imprisonment and 30 suspended lashes. On the same day of their demonstration on May 9, 2019, several workers were summoned and arrested. On September 7, 2019, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Esmail Bakhshi to a 14-year prison term and 74 lashes and Mohammad Khanifar to six years imprisonment. In addition, Sepideh Gholian, Amir Amirgholi, Amir Hossein Mohammadifard, Sanaz Allahyari, and Asal Mohammadi were sentenced to 18 years in prison, each. Their trial was held in the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, in August. Ali Nejatiâs case is still open.
Haft Tappeh was founded in the 1960s in the city of Shush, in Khuzestan Province. It is the oldest sugar factory in Iran. Since 2015 due to the privatization deal based on article 44 of the constitution was transferred to the present owners. It has four thousand workers and employees and is located 15 kilometers south of the Shush city.
On September 16, 2019, the workers of Heavy Equipment Production Company (HEPCO) in Arak were protesting on the railway track of the North-South railway. The demonstration turned violent after the police attack that led to arrest and injury of many protesters. According to the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Mill Labor Syndicate, police attacked protesters to stop the protest. Some of the injured protesters were transferred to hospital and at least 28 of them were arrested but their identification is still unknown. The protesters demanded their unpaid wages, clarification of their share-holding status, and ownership of the Company.
HEPCO Company was founded in 1974 to manufacture and assemble industrial machinery and to create jobs for eight thousand workers. It currently has only 900 workers and employees who have unpaid wages from 2016. HEPCO was privatized during the first term of president Ahmadinejad and has had two main shareholders who are both unable to perform their duties. HEPCO workers organized a demonstration in May 2018 to protest their unpaid wages. On May 28, 2019, 10 workers were summoned to the Arakâs prosecutorâs office and a group case was opened for them. Their case was transferred to the Branch two of the prosecutorâs office with charges of âdisrupting public orderâ and âattending unauthorized demonstrationâ. These workers were arrested the same day and eventually five of them were released on bail. Although the management of HEPCO was transferred to the Ministry of Industry but the issue of unpaid wages of HEPCO workers has not yet been solved. In February, the attorney of several of the workers of Arak HEPCO reported that the cases of seven workers of this company were transferred to the Revolutionary Court.
On September 7, 2019, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Esmail Bakhshi to a 14-year prison term and 74 lashes and Mohammad Khanifar to six years imprisonment. In addition, Sepideh Gholian, Amir Amirgholi, Amir Hossein Mohammadifard, Sanaz Allahyari, and Asal Mohammadi were sentenced to 18 years in prison, each. Their trial was held in the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, in August. Ali Nejatiâs case is still open.
The collective court session for the detained labor activists of Haft Tappehâs case was initially scheduled for August 3, 2019 at the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran led by judge Moghiseh. However, the session was postponed to a later date and was held one-by-one.
According to the verdict issued by the Branch 28 of Tehranâs Revolutionary Court led by judge Moghiseh, Esmail Bakhshi was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for the charge of âassembly and collusion aimed to act against national securityâ, two years imprisonment for âinsulting the Supreme Leaderâ, two years imprisonment for the charge of âspreading falsehoodâ, one years and half in prison for the charge of âpropaganda against the stateâ, and 1.5 years in prison and 74 lashes for the charge of âdisrupting the public orderâ.
Sepideh Gholian, Amir (Ali) Amirgholi, Amir Hossein Mohammadfard, Sanaz Allahyari, and Asal Mohammadi, each were sentenced to seven years in prison for the charge of âassembly and collusion aimed to act against national securityâ, Â another seven years in prison for the charge of âmembership in Gam groupâ, one year and a half in prison for the charge of âpropaganda against the stateâ, and two years and a half for âspreading falsehoodâ. According to the article 134 of Iranâs Islamic Penal Code, each should serve the sentence for the charge with the highest penalty which is seven years imprisonment on the charge of âassembly and collusion aimed to act against national securityâ.
Mohammad Khanifar was sentenced to five years in prison for the charge of âassembly and collusion aimed to act against national securityâ and a one-year prison term for the charge of âpropaganda against the stateâ. According to the article 134 of Iranâs Islamic Penal Code, Mohammad Khanifar should serve the sentence for the charge with the highest penalty which is five years imprisonment on the charge of âassembly and collusion aimed to act against national securityâ.
The protests of the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane industrial complex started on March 28, 2018 in front of the Shush governor compound. Subsequently, the prosecutorâs office of Shush summoned several workers. The workers went to the prosecutorâs office three days later but were informed that their session was rescheduled. On the same day, 10 protester workers were arrested. The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane industrial complex union reported the strike of more than five hundred workers of this company from July 29, 2018 and these protests periodical continued till August 2018. The protesters demanded an end to the privatization of the company and alleged houses to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, firing the executive board members of the company, and sustain the current director of the company. In November 2018 these protests were accompanied by protests of the workers of Iran National Steel Industrial Group (INSIG) and continued till late December.  Esmail Bakhshi and Ali Nejati are two prominent labor activists of Haft Tappeh Complex who have been arrested during the protests.
Esmail Bakhshi was arrested in November and was released on bail in December 2018. He was charged with âdisruption of public orderâ, âassembly and collusion against national securityâ, and âparticipation in forming a groupâ, âintended to disrupt public securityâ. On December 2, 2018 he reported his return to his workplace. On January 4, 2019, Esmail Bakhshi wrote an open letter and spoke out about abuse and torture he suffered in detention from the Intelligence Department authorities during his detention. After that, Sepideh Gholian, a civil rights activist who was arrested during workers protests supported him. Bakhshi and Gholian have been rearrested after the broadcast of their under-torture confessions on the national television. They have been transferred from Sheiban and Sepidar prison in Ahvaz to Evin prison in Tehran on April 28, 2018 for their court hearing.
On August 10, 2019, the trial of Sepideh Gholian was held at the Branch 28 of Tehranâs Revolutionary Court. In this session Sepideh Gholian claimed that she was subjected to abuse during her interrogation and was forced to confess therefore she does not approve her accusation. Sepideh Gholians attorney, Jamal Heydari Manesh, stated that his client was under pressure during her arrest and interrogation and she was falsely accused. He emphasized that defending the workersâ right is not a crime but one the rights of his client.
Ali Nejati, who is a labor activist and a member of the managing board of the labor union representing employees of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company, was arrested by the security forces on November 29, 2018 on the charges of “disrupting public order”, “collusion and assembly against national security” and “cooperation in establishing a group intended to disrupt peace and security”. He was transferred to the Shush prison on December 24, 2018. He was taken to the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Baghaei Hospital due to the deteriorating health for his heart. He is suffering from heart disease and a prolonged detention had a dire health consequence and even endangered his life. In January, his family reported about his inappropriate detention condition. Nevertheless, his verdict was changed to release on bail, and he was temporary released on January 28, 2019.
The members of âGamâ, a labor right defendant magazine was arrested by the security forces. On January 16, 2019, Amir Amirgholi was arrested in city of Babolsar and was transferred to the ward 209 of Evin Prison. He was transferred to Ahvazâs Intelligence department on February 18, 2019 and then transferred to quarantine ward of Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. Currently, he is in ward four of Evin Prison. Sanaz Allahyari and her husband Amir Hossein Mohammadifar, were arrested on January 9, 2019. Mohammadifar was transferred from the ward 209 in Evin Prison to the ward 4 and Allahyari was transferred to the woman ward of Evin Prison.
Asal Mohammadi, labor activist, was arrested at her home by security forces on the charge of supporting workersâ protests on November 22. On January 5, 2019, she was released on 400 million Tomans [4000 dollars] bail. She was rearrested on August 4, 2019 by judge Moghiseh order. Reportedly, she could not afford the updated set bail of two billion Tomans [200 thousand dollars].
Mohammad Khanifar was arrested during the mass arrest on November 19, 2019 during the protest of workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane and he was released on January 26, 2019. On January 29, he was summoned to Shushâs Intelligence department and was rearrested there. He was released on bail on January 29, 2019. His trial session for another part of this case was held on February 12, 2019 in the Shush Court. In this session his incitement was about the charge ofâ unauthorized demonstration demanding the change of management of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcan Agro-Industry and the release of Esmail Bakhshiâ.
Haft Tappeh was founded in the 1960s in the city of Shush, in Khuzestan Province. It is the oldest sugar factory in Iran. Since 2015 due to the privatization deal based on article 44 of the constitution was transferred to the present owners. It has four thousand workers and employees and is located 15 kilometers south of the Shush city.
