Iran: Demand the release of May Day detainees

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Sunday May 17, 2009 14:13 by 1May - May Day Organising Committee campain1may at gmail dot com

On May Day, workers and their families who had gathered at Tehran’s Laleh Park, following a call by the May Day Organising Committee (made up of Iran’s independent labour organisations), to voice their demands and to commemorate this day, were attacked by the police and security forces and plain clothes officers. A number of people who were in the park were also attacked. Using various brutal means and instruments, the security forces seriously injured a large number of people and arrested and put in jail over 150. Of these, around 100 are still in prison.

These people had not committed any crime to be attacked and detained in such an inhuman way. Today they are in jail, in appalling conditions, for [commemorating May Day] together with billions of workers around the world; for voicing the demands of millions of people in Iran who are humiliated everyday, not paid for months and suppressed for setting up independent organisations; for raising their voice of protest. Their families have been contacting the courts and other judicial authorities every day to seek their release, but are being met by abuse and conflicting responses.

We millions of working people who yearn for equality have a responsibility towards the imprisoned workers and their families and must not leave them alone. By declaring this campaign, we call on all labour and human rights organisations in Iran and internationally to condemn the arrest of these loved ones and to call for their unconditional release. We call on them to do all within their power and to use all possible means to support these workers and their families and insist on their demands as set out in their May Day Resolution.

Long live the class solidarity of workers of the world!

*Send your protest emails to:

To: info@leader.ir ; dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir ; info@judiciary.ir ; iran@un.int ; ijpr@iranjudiciary.org ; info@dadiran.ir ; office@justice.ir; matbuat@mfa.gov.ir; info@police.ir

Please send your statements of support and reports of actions taken to the following email address: campain1may@gmail.com

Statement issued by:

Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company
Union of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers
Free Union of Iranian Workers
Committee for the Re-opening of the Union of Building Painting and Decoration Workers
Co-operating Council of Workers’ Organisations and Activists, comprised of:
- Follow-up Committee to Form Free Workers’ Organisations
- Co-ordinating Committee to Aid Formation of Workers’ Organisations
- A Group of Worker Activists
- Women’s Council
- Association for Support of Worker Rights

Supported by:

Kermanshah Electricity and Metal Society;
Society to Defend Sacked Workers of Saqez;
Committee to Defend Haft Tape Workers; Workers of Sanandaj Par-Ris Factory;
Sanandaj Shin-Baaft Textile Factory;
Workers of Shahoo Companies;
Kurdistan Textile; Gharb-Baaft [Textile Company];
Sheel Brick;
Pak Ara Milk;
Sama Gunnysack Makers;
Fajr Flour;
Niroo Raksh [Power Company];
Service workers of Sanandaj Tohid Hospital;
A group of Sanandaj retirees;
Workers of West Kermanshah Carpet Company;
Dena Tyre Company; Ghaiee Cement;
A group of workers of Asalouye [Petrochemical Complex];
A group of Iran Khodro [Car Company];
A group of Kian Tyre (Alborz) workers;
Khameneh Textile workers;
Ahvaz Pipe-Making Company

* You can also send your protest letters to the Iranian Embassy:

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
72 Mount Merrion Ave.
Blackrock Co.
Dublin, Ireland

Phone: (003531) 2885881
(003531) 2880252

Fax: (003531) 2834246

Email: IranianEmbassy@Ireland.com