Ten Teacher Union Activists Arrested in Saqqez and Divandarreh

Yesterday, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, security forces arrested ten teacher union activists in Saqqez and Divandarreh, in Kurdistan Province, and transferred them to an unidentified location. The individuals arrested, who are members of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Associations, include Soleiman Abdi, Aziz Marzi, Salah Sorkhi from Saqqez and Omid-Shah Mohammadi, Othman Rezai, Hiwa Ghoreishi, Parviz Ahsani and Kaweh Mohammadzadeh from Diwandarreh.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, ten members of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Associations were arrested in Saqqez and Divandarreh.

The reason for the arrest, the whereabouts and the charges against these individuals are unknown so far.

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations called active and retired teachers to rally across the country in protest against the widespread arrests of teachers.

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”.