The Free Workers Union of Iran protested the continued detention of those arrested on International Labor Day.
The Free Union of Iranian Workers issued a statement protesting the continued detention of Atefeh Rangriz, Neda Naji, Marzieh Amiri, and Keyvan Samimi, among those arrested on International Labor Day in Tehran, who were arrested along with a number of other participants.
On Friday, June 14, the Free Workers Union issued a statement protesting the continued detention of a number of those arrested on International Labor Day, calling on all international organizations and labor unions worldwide to protest the continued detention of these detainees in any way possible.
The statement said that workers around the world have been celebrating International Workers' Day for decades, but in Iran, workers are routinely arrested and imprisoned for celebrating this day. This year, nearly fifty workers, students, and retirees have been arrested and are facing prison sentences.
Atefeh Rangriz, Neda Naji, Marzieh Amiri, and Keyvan Samimi are among those who were arrested during the International Workers' Day protests and are still in detention. The detention orders for Keyvan Samimi and Marzieh Amiri have been extended by one month, the investigator in the case is not accepting Atefeh Rangriz's bail under false pretenses, and Neda Naji's status is also unclear.
Part of this statement states that "The Free Union of Iranian Workers warmly shakes the hands of all students and allies of the labor movement and calls on all workers and labor organizations to intensify their protests against the continued detention of these friends, to make their voices heard more and more strongly in society, and we call on all international institutions and labor unions worldwide to protest the continued detention of these detainees in any way possible."
Women's rights activist Neda Naji and women's and workers' rights activist Atefeh Rangriz have been transferred from Qarchak Prison to Evin Prison for further investigation in Tehran after their arrest during the International Labor Day protests. Based on available information, on June 12, after the end of their 30-day detention period, a 12-day detention order has been issued for them.
Marzieh Amiri, a journalist and social sciences student at the University of Tehran, who had gone to the Vazra detention center to follow up on the situation of those detained on International Labor Day, was also arrested and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Twenty days after Ms. Amiri's arrest, the Judiciary Spokesperson announced that her charges were "security-related."
Keyvan Samimi, editor-in-chief of Iran Farda magazine, was also arrested during an International Workers' Day rally in front of the parliament building in Tehran and is currently being held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Based on available information, his arrest was extended for one month in mid-June.
Following these arrests, Amnesty International issued a statement on International Workers' Day calling on the authorities of the Islamic Republic to immediately release workers and civil society activists who were arrested during strikes and other peaceful protests.
The US State Department's Persian Twitter page also criticized the arrest of Iranian labor activists on International Labor Day in a message.
Source: Voice of America
