Statement

Free Reza Shahabi immediately and unconditionally!

The undersigned workers' organizations have been following the situation of Reza Shahabi, a member of the board of directors of the Syndicate of Workers of the Bus Company of Tehran and the Suburbs, for many years. Reza Shahabi's activities in defence of the rights of workers in Iran are entirely within the framework of the internationally recognized standards and the ILO conventions. Reza Shahabi has been arrested many times for his activities and has spent about 6 years in prison.

According to the Syndicate of Workers of the Bus Company of Tehran and the Suburbs, Reza Shahabi , after being recalled to prison, was sentenced arbitrarily to extended prison terms including the time he was on medical leave, which means a new one-year prison sentence and 968 extra days of imprisonment to “compensate” untold circumstances. He has suffered various diseases as a result of torture and the lack of health facilities in prison during these years. In protest he went on hunger strike and ended it only when the directors of prison promised to reconsider all these alleged new prison terms. But nothing happened.

Now we have learned that he suffered a slight cerebral stroke in prison a few days ago. His life is in danger.

The signatories of this letter object to the imprisonment of Reza Shahabi and demand solemnly his immediate and unconditional release in order to let him to profit from a proper medical care corresponding to his deteriorated health conditions.

We also recall that, as a member of the ILO, the Islamic Republic of Iran must respect fundamental ILO standards, including freedom of association and collective bargaining.

25 December 2017