Appeals Court: Eight Teachers’ Union Activists Sentenced to Fines

The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations reported that the prison sentences of Anoush Adeli, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, Teymour Bagheri Koodakani, Tahmasb Sohrabi, Gholamreza Akbarzadeh Baghban, Ali Nahali, Mohammad Javad Saeedi, and Jahanbakhsh Lajevardi, teachers’ union activists from Gilan Province, were converted to fines by Branch 29 of the Gilan Appeals Court. Additionally, Yadollah Baharestani and Mahmoud Sedighipour, two other defendants in the case, were acquitted of the charges against them.

Based on the recent ruling issued by Branch 29 of the Gilan Appeals Court and delivered to the activists, the two-year and one-day prison sentences for each of these teacher union activists have been converted to a fine of 3,300,000 tomans each. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Sedighipour and Yadollah Baharestani were acquitted of all charges.

Previously, Branch 3 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court had sentenced each of these individuals to two years and one day in prison, along with a two-year ban on membership in political and social parties, groups, and organizations for charges of “disrupting public order by participating in and organizing union gatherings and defying police orders.”

These activists, except for Mohammad Javad Saeedi, have previously faced legal actions due to their union activities.

Ten Teacher Union Activists Sentenced to a Collective 20 Years with Additional Penalties

The Revolutionary Court of Rasht has sentenced ten teacher union activists to two years in prison each, along with additional penalties, as reported by the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association channel.

The convicted teachers are Anoosh Adeli, Mahmood Sedighipour, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, Teymoor Bagheri Koodakani, Tahmasb Sohrabi, Gholamreza Akbarzadeh Baghian, Ali Nahali, Mohammad-Javad Saeedi, Jahanbakhsh Lajevardi, and Yadollah Baharestani. In addition to the prison terms, they have been barred from joining political/civil groups for two years.

The court session addressed charges related to “disturbing public order through participating in and holding protest union gatherings and defying police officers.” Sedighipour and Ghasemzadeh were imprisoned and did not attend the court.

Among them, Adeli, Sedighipour, and Ghasemzadeh had previously received a one-year prison term, which was upheld on appeal. They are currently serving their sentences in Lakan Prison, Rasht.

In 2023, the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 1,700 reports related to the rights of trade unions and associations. This included 53 individuals who received sentences totaling 1,230 months of imprisonment.

Educator and Union Activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh Summoned by Public and Revolutionary Court of Rudsar County

On Saturday, November 6, educator and union activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh was summoned by the Public and Revolutionary Court of Rudsar County.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Aziz Ghasemzadeh received a summons via the online judicial system SENA to appear at the Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rudsar within eight days.

Following nationwide protests of educators all across the country, on September 26, security forces arrested Ghasemzadeh at his parents’ home in Rudsar City. During the arrest, security forces searched the house and confiscated several of Ghasemzadeh’s personal belongings.

The arrest took place the day after working and retired teachers held protests in 36 cities across the country, which were organized by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations. Throughout the detention, he was denied any access to a lawyer, phone calls and family visitations. Finally, on October 11, 2021, he was released on bail.

Ghasemzadeh will need to defend himself against charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “spreading lies”.

 

Activist and Teacher Aziz Ghasemzadeh Still Incommunicado in Detention

After eight days, teacher and union activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh is still  incommunicado in a detention facility of the intelligence office in Rudsar County in Gilan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ghasemzadeh has so far been denied access to a lawyer, phone calls and in-person visits.

On September 26 this year, security forces arrested the educator at his parents’ home in Rudsar. During the arrest, security forces inspected the house and confiscated several of Ghasemzadeh’s personal belongings.

The arrest took place the day after working and retired teachers held protests in 36 cities across the country, which were organized by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations.

According to HRANA, Ghasemzadeh is still being denied access to his lawyer and his temporary detention period has been extended. As of this writing, the charges against him are unknown.

 

 

Teachers Union Activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh Arrested in Gilan

On Sunday, September 26, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, the spokesman of the Gilan Teachers and Education Staffs union, was arrested at his father’s house.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Coordination Council of Iranian Education Associations’ channel,  agents searched the house and confiscated Mr. Ghasemzadeh’s personal belongings during the arrest.

As of this writing, the whereabouts of the detainee and the charges against him are unknown.

 

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