May Day activist fined and whipped in Iran

10 others await a similar fate

18 Feb 2008

Seddigh Amjadi, one of the workers detained at last year’s May Day ceremonies in the city of Sanandaj, has been fined and whipped, according to a report by the National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers in Iran (Ettehadiye e Sarasari e Kargaran e Ekhraji va Bikaar www.ettehade.net).

On Saturday 16 February, while reporting to Branch 2 of the Court of Administration of Sentences, Seddigh Amjadi was detained on the order of the judge and given 10 strikes of the lash on the spot.  His wife was ordered to pay 65,000 Tomans in fine.

In a statement, WPI strongly condemned this barbaric act and called on people in Iran and around the world to protest in the strongest possible terms against this medieval savagery.

Amjadi has already spent 9 days in prison following his arrest last year.

The sentence against Amjadi came in a ruling by the Appeals Court of the Kurdistan Province against 11 worker activists arrested in last year’s May Day in the city of Sanandaj.  All but one of the workers were sentenced to fines and lashes.  Abbas Andaryani was ordered to pay fines.  The 11 workers are:

1- Seddigh Amjadi (fine and lashes)

2- Abbas Andaryani (fine)

3- Tayyeb Chatani (fine and lashes)

4- Fares Gavilian (fine and lashes)

5- Habibollah Kale Kani (fine and lashes)

6- Eghbal Latifiollah (fine and lashes)

7- Tayyeb Mollaee (fine and lashes)

8- Yadollah Moradi (fine and lashes)

9- Mahiyoddin Rajabi (fine and lashes)

10- Khaled Savari (fine and lashes)

11- Seddigh Sobhani (fine and lashes)

Following the brutal whipping of Amjadi, it is feared that the sentences against the other workers may be carried out any time soon.

To condemn the sentences and stop this outrage, please send your letters of protest to the Islamic Republic government in Iran:

Supreme Leader:

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street

Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Iran
Email: info@leader.ir   

The President:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency

Palestine Avenue,

Azerbaijan Intersection

Tehran, Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

The Head of the Judiciary:

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.,Vali Asr Ave.,
South of Serah-e Jomhouri,
Tehran, Iran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Please send a copy to WPI’s International Labour Solidarity Committee for info.

www.kargaran.org   www.wpiran.org   www.rowzane.com

International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran (ILSC-WPI)

Head office:

Co-ordinator: Shahla Daneshfar shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com

Public Relations: Bahram Soroush bahram.soroush@gmail.com

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