Security Crackdown on Teachers’ Occupational Demands: Several Teachers Summoned for Participation in Two-Day Strike
A teachers’ trade union activist told the Human Rights Campaign in Iran that in addition to the arrest of Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh on October 13, and coinciding with teachers’ strikes across the country, several teachers in Tehran, Qazvin, Bojnord, Sanandaj, Marivan, Kermanshah, and Aligodarz have been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office and must report on Saturday, October 19.
Iranian teachers refrained from attending their classes on October 13 and 14, 2018, in protest of teachers’ living conditions, the commodification of education, and security measures against teachers. A teachers’ trade union activist who requested anonymity told the Campaign on October 16 that in addition to the arrest of Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, secretary of the coordination council of teachers’ trade associations, several other teachers have also been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office.
The source told the Campaign that only in Sanandaj seven teachers have been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence, but summoning has also been reported in other cities such as Tehran, Qazvin, Bojnord, Marivan, Kermanshah, and Aligodarz: “Among the cities where teachers were summoned, only the number from Sanandaj has been announced, which is seven people. In other cities, the exact number is still unclear. These individuals must report on Saturday, October 19. If it is serious or if they intend to arrest them, the names will be announced.”
Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, secretary of the North Khorasan Teachers’ Association, was arrested on October 13 while returning home to Bojnord after a sit-in. The Teachers’ Union channel reported that Ministry of Intelligence forces have taken control of telegram accounts related to teachers: “Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, secretary of the North Khorasan Teachers’ Association who chairs the coordination council, was arrested on his way home, and for hours his family and those close to him were unaware of his fate. He was arrested by the government’s intelligence agency, and intelligence took control of his telegram account, the council channel, and the sit-in supergroup, and tried as much as they could to derail the sit-in.”
Abdolreza Ghanbari, a teacher and poet, was also arrested on October 14 and transferred to Evin Prison. A member of the Teachers’ Union told the Campaign that Mr. Ghanbari’s arrest is due to his previous conviction in 2009 and has no connection to the teachers’ gathering. Abdolreza Ghanbari was arrested on December 27, 2009, after the famous Ashura gathering of 2009. Mr. Ghanbari was initially sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh (enmity against God) and connection with the Mujahedin Organization, but after a change in the moharebeh law and retrial, his sentence was reduced to 15 years. He was arrested on October 14, 2018, after reporting to the prosecutor’s office and was transferred to Evin Prison to continue serving his sentence.
A member of the Teachers’ Union also reported the arrest of a teacher in Sanandaj. Mohammad Saleh Shekari, a member of the Sanandaj Teachers’ Association, was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence on October 6. According to this source, Mr. Shekari has not yet been informed of the charges against him and has not been able to meet with a lawyer or family since his arrest, and has only been informed of his arrest by the Ministry of Intelligence through a brief phone call.
Abbas Vahidian, a teacher and member of the Mashhad Teachers’ Association, was also arrested on October 10, on the eve of the teachers’ sit-in. According to the Teachers’ Union, officers transferred him to an undisclosed location after searching his home and seizing equipment. With the addition of recent arrests, at least eight teachers are now in prison or detention. Ismail Abbadi, Mohammad Habbabi, Mahmoud Bahrami, and Rouhollah Mardani were previously imprisoned in Evin, and Mohammad Saleh Shekari, Abbas Vahidian, Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, and Abdolreza Ghanbari have also been arrested or imprisoned in the past week.
Security measures against teachers’ activities, particularly the Teachers’ Union, have been repeated over the past ten years in most teachers’ strikes. Teachers in the two-day sit-in call on October 13 and 14 also warned against any security measures against teachers. Nevertheless, security measures have intensified and the number of imprisoned teachers has increased.
Source: Human Rights Campaign
