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http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=231 Salehi's Letter from Prison to Guy Ryder Dear Mr. Guy Ryder, Today, April 12, 2007, I got an opportunity to speak with one of my friends on the phone from the sanandaj prison. During this call, I asked him to inform you through this letter about the circumstances surrounding my kidnapping. On Monday, April 9th, I was at my work, which is the Saqez Workers’ Consumer Cooperative, when one of the commanding officers of the intelligence section of the security forces of Saqez, came to my work at 12: 30 pm, our time, and told me that the governor and the prosecutor wanted to negotiate regarding the celebration of the First of May in Saqez with me; since this person had been coming to my work numerous times before to invite me for negotiations with the authorities, I did not feel suspicious and left my work along with him. When I got there, I found out that there wasn’t going to be neither any meetings with the governor or the prosecutor nor any discussion of this year’s May Day event. Right there, one of the authorities of the judiciary gave me the verdict of the appeal court orally, according to which I was sentenced to one year imprisonment and three years suspended sentence. I objected to the deceitful way in which my arrest was conducted and called that to be against human dignity and thus refused to sign the order. I also said that the verdict should have been handed down to my lawyers or taken by their officers to my home, but I was body-searched and very hurriedly taken outside the court, where they put me into a car and drove away furiously. After a few hours I found out I was being taken to the Sanandaj Central Prison. This way, they didn’t allow me to say goodbye to my dearly-beloved wife and children, and didn’t even let me to take my medications with me. You are undoubtedly aware that one of my kidneys has stopped working and the other kidney is almost failing and without these medications and continuous treatment my life would be at risk. What does this mean for humanitarian tradition? They have sentenced me only because of my efforts to celebrate my international day and that of my fellow workers but they don’t dare to summon me in a conventional way. They kidnap me to be shielded from the outrage of workers and freedom loving people. In deed, my arrest three weeks before the first of May 2007 is a political act and not a judicial one. They arrested me within such a particular context so that the organizing of independent May Day events would encounter problems and the workers’ struggles in Iran for the formation of independent organizations from the state would weaken. However, they are ignorant of the fact that I belong to the workers’ social movement. They are ignorant that I and other labour activists and militant people work collectively. This way our movement can always replace the missing members. It’s even probable that under these circumstances the activists of labour movement would increase their actions quantitatively and qualitatively and thus celebrate a much greater international workers’ day. It’s possible that the struggle for the formation of independent workers’ organizations would redouble. I felt it necessary to send you this letter and personally inform you of these events. From the day that my colleagues and I were arrested on May first 2004 till now there have been many efforts, struggles and protests inside Iran and abroad to push back the Judicial Power of Iran. In the beginning, they associated us with the Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran (Komalah) and added endangering the “National Security” to our cases. Extensive efforts of workers’ organizations and foundations in Iran and the world forced the judicial authorities to desist resorting to such fabrications of charges. In other words, the widespread struggles in the country and abroad made them to back down greatly. Yet, this struggle needs to be continued until we are fully acquitted and the right to organize independent celebrations of the international workers’ day is established in Iran. I have no doubt that you would continue to play a valuable and laudable role at this stage as well. Yours truly, Mahmoud Salehi cc: Anna Biondi Janek kuczkiewicz *** Solidarity with workers in Iran- Reports from France On February 15, 2007, the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (Paris), in cooperation with the CGT The CGT (General Confederation of Labour or Confédération générale du travail), organized a conference and discussion with the theme of supporting the struggles of workers in Iran for their trade union rights. The conference had three speakers, Jean-François Courbe, the CGT’s Director for the Europe, Mediterranean and the Arab World, Bruno Dalberto, the CGT Transport’s Director of International Department, and Yadullah Khosroshahi, a Coordinating Committee Member of the IASWI. The speakers emphasized on the importance of building worker to worker solidarity between Iranian workers and their colleagues in other parts of the world without political maneuvering and interventions. In their presentation, the CGT representatives emphasized on the CGT’s commitment to the international solidarity of workers and the importance of respecting Iranian labour organizations’ independence and internal autonomy. A main goal is to support workers’ rights in Iran without intervening in their organizations’ internal affairs. The unity and solidarity of workers is extremely important as governments have too many tools for suppressing workers. Please see the bottom of this message for the text of speech by Jean-François Courbe (in French). The CGT’s protest letter to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ambassador in France The CGT (General Confederation of Labour or Confédération générale du travail), on February 28, 2007 sent a letter to the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in France expressing its serious protest about the embassy’s refusal to issue visas to a CGT’s mission. Jean-François Courbe, The CGT’s Director for the Europe, Mediterranean and the Arab World, who has signed the letter, states that from the beginning of February this year, the CGT and their invitees from Iran had processed all the requirements for obtaining visas; however, just three days before the mission’s trip to Iran the Embassy refused granting them visas, without giving any legitimate reasons. The Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also been giving baseless excuses to the CGT for not granting them visas. Jean-François Courbe adds that the CGT has no doubt that this is an oppressive measure on the part of Iranian officials in order to refuse their mission’s entry to Iran, which was intended to examine the labour movement as well as the situation of their invitee, the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company. Jean-François Courbe adds that this is a violation of trade union rights in Iran and the CGT is witnessing that the Iranian government does not allow an independent trade union movement, whose only goal is to defend workers’ rights in Iran, to function and grow. Meeting Iran Bourse du travail de Paris le 15 02 07 Intervention de JF COURBE au nom de la CGT Bonsoir chers amis et chers camarades et merci à vous tous d’être présents. Permettez moi au nom de la CGT, tout d’abord, de remercier nos amis de l’Alliance d’avoir pris l’initiative d’organiser cette réunion. Nous avons répondu favorablement à leur invitation pour deux raisons, la première parce que nous pensons que faire du 15 février une journée de solidarité avec les travailleurs iraniens est une initiative positive qui constituera une aide pour leur combat et la deuxième parce que nous apprécions la conception que l’alliance a de son travail de solidarité. Certes l’alliance joue le rôle d’intermédiaire, au combien utile, mais un intermédiaire qui facilite les relations avec l’intérieur du pays contrairement à d’autres qui utilisent cette fonction à des fins partisanes. De plus l’alliance souhaite s’effacer quand les relations se font directement alors que d’autres tentent de demeurer incontournables. Nous sommes très sensibles à l’idée que notre solidarité ne soit pas utilisée pour d’autres objectifs, que ceux pour lesquels nous avons décidés d’agir. Nous espérons voir votre organisation se développer, se renforcer et devenir un outil encore plus efficace pour les intérêts de la population iranienne. Voilà maintenant, plusieurs années que nous soutenons les luttes pour les libertés syndicales dans ce pays, du soutien des manifestants du premier mai 2004 au soutien à nos camarades de la Vahed. Plusieurs années que nous participons à des rassemblements, que nous signons des pétitions, que nous organisons une solidarité financière, certes tout cela est bien loin d’être suffisant, puisque la situation démocratique est toujours catastrophique, mais nous ne nous décourageons pas, et nous essaierons d’intensifier notre solidarité. Notre activité solidaire repose sur des objectifs clairs. Nous ne sommes pas un parti politique et ni même une organisation iranienne qui peut, et qui a même le devoir de proposer un projet pour son pays, nous nous sommes une organisation syndicale française et à ce titre nous défendons certaines valeurs et une certaine conception de la solidarité internationale, à savoir que la défense des intérêts des travailleurs est indissociable des libertés syndicales. Cette conception nous conduit naturellement à faire de la reconnaissance dans tous les pays du monde du droit syndical, du droit des travailleurs à s’organiser librement et à décider eux même de l’organisation qu’ils souhaitent, la priorité de notre solidarité. Notre organisation et son histoire le prouve n’a jamais séparé son activité nationale et son activité internationale. Pour nous non seulement, il n’y a pas de contradiction mais nous pensons même qu’il y a complémentarité, à condition que cette dimension internationale ne soit pas utilisée à des fins partisanes. Pour mon organisation, il ne se saurait être question ni de s’inscrire dans un soutien à une quelconque fraction ou à un quelconque groupe, ni de participer à la moindre concurrence entre différents réseaux de solidarité. Pour nous la règle est la non- ingérence d’une manière ou d’une autre dans les questions internes des organisations syndicales. En revanche que l’on ne nous taxe pas d’ingérence ou d’attitude anti-iranienne, lorsque nous demandons que les dirigeants de ce pays appliquent les traités multilatéraux que l’Iran a ratifié ,comme les pactes internationaux relatifs aux droits civils et celui relatif aux droits économiques et sociaux, je rappelle que ces Pactes consacrent le droit de constitution et d’adhésion à un syndicat, le droit des syndicats à se regrouper en fédération , le droit d’exercer librement leur activité ainsi que le droit de grève . La légalité internationale et même la légalité iranienne est bien du côté de ceux qui exigent l’application des libertés syndicales. Plusieurs fois j’ai été interpellé sur le fait que nos différentes actions de solidarité risquaient de mettre en difficultés voir même en danger les militants de l’intérieur. A ce propos je tiens à préciser, d’une part que notre expérience nous conduit à penser que l’appui international peut représenter un soutien voir même une certaine sécurité et d’autre part nous estimons que c’est à ceux qui sont exposés à la répression, à ceux qui risquent d’en payer les conséquences, de décider de nouer ou non ces liens internationaux, car eux seuls sont en capacité d’évaluer les risques qu’ils vont prendre. Dans tous les cas la CGT ne fera rien qui ne soit décider ou approuver par les représentants des syndicats en Iran. Chers amis nous savons que le chemin vers la démocratie sera encore long, nous connaissons les moyens que le pouvoir peut toujours utiliser pour retarder les échéances qu’il s’agisse de la répression dans les entreprises et dans la vie de tous les jours. Nous savons également qu’une des armes les plus redoutable des régimes autoritaires est leur capacité à susciter les divisions. Veillons à tout faire pour préserver l’unité, la CGT quant à elle, à son niveau, y sera très attentive. Pour terminer, permettez-moi de demander à nos amis iraniens de transmettre nos salutations solidaires et d’assurer les travailleurs iraniens que la CGT sera toujours aux côtés de ceux qui luttent pour la démocratie et les libertés. *** anders.larsson@lo.se> Hej, Jag tänkte att jag åtminstone kan dela med mig av det brev som ligger som förslag till Wanja Lundby-Wedin att skriva på om kränkningar av fackliga rättigheter i Iran. Det kan vara så att hon vill ändra något men nu vet du hur förslaget ser ut. Med vänliga hälsningar Anders Larsson Jag kan nu bekräfta att det brev du fick igår är skickat till Irans
president med den skrivning du har den. Med vänliga hälsningar Anders Larsson LO • Swedish Trade Union Confederation Our reference Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Unión General de Trabajadores de Suecia *** Declaration by labour organisations in Iran: On 9 April Mahmoud Salehi was lured to the prosecutor’s office [in the city of Saghez] under the pretext of discussing this year’s May Day rally. He was detained on the spot through a court order which had never been served on him before, and was immediately taken to Section 7 of the Central Prison of Sanandaj. Salehi’s detention in this way more than anything else shows that those behind the order have lost their nerve and want to enforce the order so as to undermine workers preparing for May Day. Salehi’s trial and arrest is an affront to the working class and violation of millions of workers’ most obvious right to celebrate May Day. We will not remain silent on this. We regard celebrating May Day as our indisputable right, and will hold this year’s ceremony ever more magnificently. We the undersigned condemn the trial and arrest of Mahmoud Salehi and call for his immediate and unconditional release. We call upon all workers and workers’ organisations to protest at Salehi’s arrest and to demand his immediate and unconditional release. On the eve of May Day, we also call on the world’s labour organisations to support the internationally recognised right of workers to freely celebrate May Day in Iran and to demand Mahmoud Salehi’s release. The Founding Committee of the National Union of Expelled and Unemployed Workers The Electrical and Metal Workers’ Trade Association of Kermanshah Workers of Shahoo Textile Company Worker of Kurdistan Textile Company A group of workers of Tehran and Suburbs United Bus Company (“Sherkat e Vahed”) A group of workers of Par-Ris Textile Company A group of laid-off workers of Alumin Company A group of workers of Kermanshah Petrochemical Company A group of workers of Asalooye Company Workers in charge of Shora labour website 10 April 2007 Copy to world labour organisations Translated by the International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran www.wpiran.org www.kargaran.org www.rowzane.com Contact: Shahla Daneshfar (shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com) Bahram Soroush (b.soroush@ukonline.co.uk) **** Iran: Mahmood Salehi, leading labour activist arrested Mahmood Salehi, a leading labour activist from the city of Saghez was re-arrested on Monday April 9 by the Islamic regime’s security forces. Salehi who was at work at the time was taken during his lunch break by armed security forces to the public prosecutor’s office regarding his bail on charges of organizing May Day strikes and demonstrations last year. Later at the public prosecutor’s office, a revised court verdict was read to him summarily sentencing him to one year imprisonment and 3 years suspended sentence. He was immediately transferred to the city of Sanandaj prison. Clearly this is an attempt to intimidate and attack the labour movement both in Iran and internationally. Last Year Manhood Salehi was bailed under immense international pressure from trade unions, and labour and progressive organizations internationally. In addition, this is an attempt to undermine the vibrant workers’ movement Iran which is preparing to organize for this year’s international May Day celebrations following a huge teachers’ strike in Iran in the last couple of months over pay and conditions which resulted in the arrest of 45 teachers’ activists in the city of Hamedan on Saturday 7th April 2007. With nation-wide and daily protests such as the teachers’ strikes challenging the Islamic Republic of Iran, the regime is fearful of a powerful confrontation on May Day and is attempting to undermine the momentum of this movement by threats, intimidations and arrests of activists and labour leaders. The Worker-communist Party of Iran condemns the arrest of Mahmood Salehi in Saghez and teachers in Hamedan and calls on all trade unions and international rights organizations and concerned individuals to join us in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mahmood Salehi and 45 arrested teachers in Hamedan and an end to the intimidation of labour activists. Celebration of May Day, the day of International Labour Solidarity, is a fundamental right for all workers in the world. International Labour Solidarity Committee of the WPI Coordinator: Shahla Daneshfar (Shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com) Public Relations: Bahram Soroush ( b.soroush@ukonline.co.uk ) 9 April 2007 Note to the Editors: Mahmood Salehi has been arrested twice since May 2003 for organizing May Day during recent last years. He was freed as a result of huge international campaigns for his release on both occasions. Mahmood Salehi has been recalled to the court over and over and has been under permanent threat and pressure by the Islamic Republic of Iran since his first arrest in May Day of 2003. *** Mahmoud Salehi, a workers’ activist, was arrested in the city of Saghez! On Monday April 9, 2007 the police showed up at the house of Mahmoud Salehi in the city of Saghez. He was told that he would be brought before the prosecutor to be questioned about the international worker’s day. At the court, an official announced that the province has re-instated his sentence of one year of imprisonment and three years of detention. He was immediately moved from the court to Sanandaj Prison by security forces. Mahmoud Salehi’s arrest around May 1st, the internatitonal workers day, is the Islamic regime’s response to worker’s activism in Iran. This act clearly warrants strong opposition against the Islamic regime and the full support of Mahmoud Salehi, who should be released immediately and unconditionally. With the rise of protests by workers and teachers, one could imagine that May 1st would become a powerful celebration in Iran. By arresting workers, the regime is trying to prevent this celebration on May 1st. Using tactics such arrests, threats, and intimidation, the Islamic regime is trying hard to prevent any actions on May 1st. While condemning these tactics of the Islamic regime, we ask all workers’ unions, International associations, and human rights organizations to put pressure on the Islamic regime and to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mahmoud Salehi. Previously, Mahmoud Salehi was arrested twice and “convicted” of organizing the May 1st celebrations. He was released from prison as a result of a widespread international campaign. After his previous arrest on May 1st, 2003, Mahmoud Salehi was summoned numerous times to court and has been under surveillance, pressure, and constant threats. We ask all workers and all freedom-loving organizations to: Condemn the arrest of Mahmoud Salehi and ask for his immediate and unconditional release; and Condemn the pressure, intimidation and threats to workers’ activists and leaders in Iran. Mahmoud Salehi’s arrest is an affront to the most basic rights of the workers in Iran and it should prompt strong international opposition. Our urgent action will force the Islamic regime to back off. The Committee for the release of political prisoners April 9, 2007 Keyvan Javid Speaker of the Committee Tel.: 07904413525 E-mail: ip.prisoner@googlemail.com *** |