Amnesty International calls for the release of imprisoned civil and labor activists in Iran
Amnesty International, issuing a statement on the occasion of International Workers' Day (May 1), called 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 statement, which was released on Wednesday, May 1, announced that since International Workers' Day last year until this year, Iranian authorities have arrested hundreds of workers and workers' rights defenders, stating that these arrests are illegal and arbitrary under international law.
The organization said that in addition to issuing prison sentences to dozens of people, the courts have also issued at least 38 flogging sentences, calling these measures "part of an organized campaign by the authorities to suppress public protests."
This human rights organization further mentioned the names of arrested labor and civil rights activists and the prison and flogging sentences against them, stating: "Iranian authorities must launch impartial, independent, and effective investigations into complaints of torture and ill-treatment of labor rights activists, including Esmaeil Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian," and bring the perpetrators to justice in fair trials.
Amnesty International also called on the Islamic Republic authorities to remove illegal obstacles to the formation of independent unions and allow workers to participate in peaceful assemblies and exercise their rights to join independent unions.
Source: Voice of America
