21 protesting Azarab workers arrested; workers demand release of their colleagues
Following the arrest of 21 protesting workers at the Azarab Company, a number of them gathered in front of the company's entrance.
On Monday, October 19, Azarab workers gathered under the slogan "The imprisoned worker must be released," demanding the release of their colleagues who had been arrested during the Sunday rally.
On Sunday, images and videos were released of a police special forces attack on a gathering of workers at the Azarab Company. On Monday, the Arak prosecutor confirmed the police clash with the workers and said that 21 Azarab workers were arrested during the previous day's labor protests.
The Azarab Arak protests began in mid-September of this year. These workers, who had also supported the Hepco Arak workers in some of their protests, had previously been summoned and threatened.
ILNA had previously written about the details of these workers' demands, stating that they had not received their wages for July and August and were also demanding part of their wages for June.
Labor protests in Iran have increased following currency fluctuations and increasing economic problems, and Islamic Republic officials have recently acknowledged growing public dissatisfaction.
The United States has repeatedly condemned Iran's security crackdown on workers. The US State Department also said in a message that the Islamic Republic's regime could have paid the salaries of workers in Iran with the money it spent in Syria.
Source: Voice of America
