20 Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Argo Industry Were Laid Off

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 Ahvaz’s 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 company’s 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 prosecutor’s office of Shush summoned several workers. The workers went to the prosecutor’s 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 “disruption of public order”, “assembly and collusion against national security”, and “participation in forming a group”, “intended to disrupt public security”. 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 Nejati’s 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.

 

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 12, 2018

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 12th, 2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) A Political Prisoner, Vahid Sayadi Nasiri, Died in Prison After 60 Days of Hunger Strike

(2) Esmail Bakhshi and Meisam Al-Mahdi, Detained Labor Activists, Released on Bail

(3) Security Forces Arrested Four Citizens in Urmia, Piranshahr, and Divandarreh

(4) Ali Kamrani Released After Completing his Prison Sentence

(5) Three inmates were beaten and their hands and feet have been tied by a prison officer 

(6) More Than Nine Protests Were Organized All Over the Country

(7) More from Iran

            

(1) A Political Prisoner, Vahid Sayadi Nasiri, Died in Prison After 60 Days of Hunger Strike

Vahid Sayadi Nasiri died in Qom prison after 60 days of hunger strike.He was imprisoned in Langarud prison in Qom, after 60 days hunger strike without access to proper medical care. He was facing with accusations of “blasphemy”and “spreading propaganda against the state”. He went on hunger strike in protest to his legal situation. His family was contacted today and received the news of his death in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Qom.

(2) Esmail Bakhshi and Meisam Al-Mahdi, Detained Labor Activists, Released on Bail

Meisam Al-Mahdi , Iran National Steel Industrial Group activist, who was arrested on December 11th, was released today. Moreover, Esmail Bakhshi, a worker of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Business was released on bail today. The whereabouts of the other labor activists who were arrested in recent protests are still unknown. Also, Ali Kroshat and Hamedi Nargesi, detained teacher’s right activist, were released on bail.He was arrested on November 12, 2018 in teacher’s protest in Khuzestan. The status of Mohammad Ramezanzadeh, and Omid Shahmohammadi, teachers who were arrested, is unknown.

(3) Security Forces Arrested Four Citizens in Urmia, Piranshahr, and Divandarreh

Four citizens were arrested by security forces and intelligence department’s officers in Urmia, Piranshahr and Divandarreh. The Center of Democracy and Human Rights in Kurdistan reported that in this week, Soleiman Mohammadnezhad, Bapir Barzeh, Jamal Mahmoudzadeh, and Homayun Bahmani were arrested in Piranshahr, Urmia, and Divandarreh and were transferred to an unknown place. Moreover, Jamshid Derakhshan, who converted to Christianity and was arrested by security forces on December 2nd, contacted his family today and informed that he has been transferred to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

(4) Ali Kamrani Released After Completing his Prison Sentence

Ali Kamrani a student of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University who was arrested on December 31, 2017 and was accused of “insulting the supreme leader” and“spreading propaganda against the state” was released on December 12, 2018 after completing his prison sentence of three months.

(5) Three inmates were beaten and their hands and feet have been tied by a prison officer 

On December 11, 2018, three inmates in Zahedan prison were beaten by the prison officers and have been left in quarantine with tied hands and feet. Aref Kharkouhi, 26 years old inmate who was accused of Moharebeh through armed robbery, Mehrollah Rigi, 24 years old prisoner with a murder charge, and Reza Bameri are inmates who were transferred to quarantine. They were held in wardfive of the Zahedan prison.

(6) More Than Nine Protests Were Organized All Over the Country

Flight attendants of the Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran Air) held a protest by the parliament, Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Business workers, the Iranian University Entrance Exam (Konkour) participants, the workers and employees of Arvandkenar county in Abadan district, 40 people who owned Arvandi cars, the workers of Ahvaz Steel company, the shareholders of the bankrupt Caspian Institution, and Tehran’s municipality’s contractors requested fulfillment of their demands in multiple protests.

(7) More from Iran

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a labor activist, was arrested on December 12, 2018 and transferred to an unknown place. He was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Unpaid wages earned within six months owed to workers in two corporations in Talesh and Borujerd

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 10, 2018

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 10th,2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists NewsAgency (HRANA).

(1) Four Workers Were Injured or Died in Their Workplaces

(2) An Execution in Urmia

(3) Five Citizens Were Saved from Execution in Shushtar

(4) The Businesses of 17 Baha’i Citizens Were Shut Down

(5) The State’s Welfare Organization has requested to monitor Fashafoyeh prison.

(6) An activist in Adel Abad prison was deprived from getting pharmaceutical drug

(7) Political Prisoners in Ardabil Prison Went on Strike

(8) Child Maltreatments in Mahabad and Harsin

(9) Atena Daemi’s open letter on Human Rights Violations in Gharchak Prison

(10) More from Iran

                                                       

(1) Four Workers Were Injured or Died in Their Workplaces

Inthe last two days, four workers were injured or died in their workplaces in Iran. Two workers who were 35 and 40 years old and citizens of Afghanistan, were injured in a construction incident in Tehran. According to Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), in Rasht, a 45 years old worker of a dairy company, died by electrical shock in the workplace. Moreover, Baloch activists campaign reported the death of a 35 years old construction worker in his workplace in Iranshahr.

(2) An Execution in Urmia

In the morning of December 10, 2018, a prisoner in Urmia prison was executed.Younes Azizi was transferred to a solitary confinement earlier. He was from Naqadeh a city in West Azerbaijan and was accused of drug crimes.

(3) Five Citizens Were Saved from Execution in Shushtar

Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported that five individuals who were arrested with a murder charge, finally were saved from execution in jail by the help of judicial authorities and victims’ families’ consent. They had spent the last 4 years waiting for the execution in prison. The murder took place in 2014 in a tribal fight. Four people died, and more than 40 people were injured in that incident in second district of Zouyie village which is in Shadravan district in Shushtar County in the Khuzestan province.

(4) The Businesses of 17 Baha’i Citizens Were Shut Down

The businesses of 17 Baha’i citizens were shut down in Kerman. Their appeal was rejected in the Administrative Justice court. They requested to cancel the minutes which was issued by the Governor General of Kerman. Due to the aforementioned minutes of limiting financial activities of Baha’i citizens,their businesses were shut down in 2016 because they closed their businesses temporarily for their religious rituals.

(5) The State’s Welfare Organization has requested to monitor Fashafoyeh prison.

Farid Baratisadeh, Deputy Director of Prevention state’s Welfare Organization has requested to monitor Fashafoyeh prison. He emphasized that although the supervising of the addicted facilities is included in the state’s Welfare Organization’s responsibility, but this organization never got the chance to supervise on Fashafoyeh prison.

(6) An activist in Adel Abad prison was deprived from getting pharmaceutical drug

Majid Azizi, a civil activist from Shiraz who is in Adel Abad prison was deprived from getting pharmaceutical drug by prison officials. His family are concerned about his health. On November 19, 2018 he was transferred to Adel Abad in Shiraz for his one-year imprisonment.

(7) Political Prisoners in Ardabil Prison Went on Strike

Political prisoners in Ardabil prison went on strike from December 9, 2018. They are protesting the transfer of an infected contagious prisoner to their prison without informing the other inmates, and the other limitations such as cutting off the phone in prison.

(8) Child Maltreatments in Mahabad and Harsin

The head of State Welfare Organization’s office of Harsin confirmed that a five-year-old girl who does not have any birth certificate and gathers garbage’s was transferred to the state Welfare office of this city. In another case in Mahabad, a six-year-old who had been abused by her mother and was hospitalized for her injuries, was transferred to the city’s State Welfare office. Mahabad and Harsin are in Azarbaijan and Kermanshah provinces.

(9) Atena Daemi’s open letter on Human Rights Violations in Gharchak Prison

Atena Daemi, an imprisoned activist wrote an open letter for international day of Human Right about human rights violations in Gharchak prison. She wrote about sanitary in this prison “there is not any spot clear from blood and vomit”. She also mentioned that the quality of water is low, there is no dental health, and prisoners’ hands and legs are swollen. Overall, there is a very limited access to the medical care and it would be humiliating and offensive.

(10) More from Iran

Ghasem Shole Sa’adi and Arash Keykhosravi, attorney at laws were sentenced to six years in prison by branch 15 of Islamic Revolutionary Court.

Hamidreza Rahmati,a teacher activist, has ended his sit-in by the Shahreza’s Ministry of Education office. He was protesting the arrest of the teachers during teachers’ strikes since December 1st, 2018.

The 21st day of detention of Ismael Bakhshi, laborer activist and Sepideh Gholian, civil activist.  They were arrested in course of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Business protests.

Arman Ghafouri, the resident of Marivan, was released on bail temporary on December 10, 2018. 

On Sunday, December 9th, the Human Right Committee of Lawyers, organized a conference for the international “Human Rights Day” which marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the subject of“celebrating the differences”. Mohammad Hashemi, Afshin Ala, Hatam Ghaderi and Saeed Madani were some of the lecturers of this conference.