Labor activist sentenced to one year in prison for January protests
A labor activist and member of the Iranian Mechanical Metal Workers Union was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of union protests.
Manouchehr Seraj, a labor activist and member of the Iranian Metalworkers' Union, was sentenced to one year in prison by Judge Mohammad Moghisi. Her case was heard in the Revolutionary Court, which is known for holding unfair trials.
Mr. Siraj was arrested last January. He was held in Evin Prison, Ward 209, for about a month and then temporarily released on bail of 300 million Tomans.
The Iranian Metalworkers' Union, while supporting "Manouchehr Seraj," condemned the one-year prison sentence for "an honorable person like her."
During the nationwide protests in Iran, which began on Thursday, January 27, 2017, and spread to more than 72 cities in Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out a severe crackdown, killing several people and arresting several thousand.
The repression of protesters and the filing of legal cases against hundreds of them raised concerns among international institutions and US government officials.
US Vice President Mike Pence was among the senior American officials who repeatedly supported the right of the Iranian people to protest against the government during the days of the protests.
US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert also strongly condemned the killings and arrests of some people in connection with the Iranian protests.
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, also called for the UN Security Council to address the suppression of protests in Iran and warned the Islamic Republic's government that the world is watching its behavior.
Source: Voice of America
