Published Updated
After having ended his hunger strike in April, Sharokh Zamani was transferred back to Rajaj Shahr prison. Thereafter he was submitted to frequent questioning and he was charged with "disturbing public order", since he had through letters from the prison revealed the prisoners' difficult situation. He has now been retransferred to the ward for political prisoners and he has partly regained his strength, which can be regarded as positive.
According to Leif Isaksson, union officer at the LO International department, Sharokh Zamani is unfortunately not the only trade unionist who is victim of systematic harassment by the Iranian regime. Many representatives of the free, autonomous trade union movement in Iran are kept in detainment and are victims of ill-treatment and torture. During the recent weeks many unionists have been arrested and submitted to exams before having been released. There is however a large number of them who are stil being kept in detainment.
By letter, the International Trade Union Confederation has urged the President to stop the arrests and prosecution of trade unionists and to immediately release those in prison.
There has not yet been any answer, as is the case with previous letters. This regrettably indicates that the regime does not intend to improve the situation. Together with our affiliated unions and global union federations, LO will continue to bring to light the wrongs taking place in Iran until there will be an improvement of the Iranian trade unionists’ situation.