Iran

We’ll turn Shahrokh Zamani's death into a banner of workers solidarity and unity

This statement was put out by workers’ organisations in Iran after the suspicious death on 12 September of Shahrokh Zamani, a trade union activist who was in the fifth year of a prison sentence. Iranian friends are asking that it be circulated as widely as possible Shahrokh Zamani, a brave and tireless fighter for the Iranian workers movement, has died in Gohar Dasht prison. The news was received by all with total disbelief and utter shock. In our view, whatever reasons the authorities may give, the responsibility for his death lies completely with those who have imposed conditions of slavery...

The Iranian regime has murdered our comrade

Shahrokh Zamani, the well-known labour activist imprisoned in Iran’s Rajai Shahr prison, has died “suddenly”. According to the Human Right Activists News Agency, his cell-mates found Shahrokh dead on Sunday 13 September, when they tried to wake him for his morning walk in the prison yard. Although the Iranian authorities claim that Shahrokh has died of a stroke, his cell-mates have said that he had “black and bruised” areas on his body. His body has now been transferred to the coroner’s officer for a post-mortem examination. We demand that the results of the autopsy are made available to...

An opportunity for Iranian imperialism

Iran has reached a deal with the big capitalist powers, the terms of which it will mean limits on Iranian nuclear production in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions. Morad Shirin of the Iranian Revolutionary Marxist Tendency spoke to Solidarity just before the deal was struck. The Iranian regime is in a very tight spot economically. The sanctions that came in in 2012 have significantly reduced its exports. They have also been locked out of the SWIFT banking system, which means that they cannot recoup money from sales. They have been diplomatically isolated since Chavez’s...

Free jailed Iranian trade unionists!

On April 19 Ali-Reza Hashemi, the General Secretary of the Iranian Teachers' Organisation, was arrested and taken to Evin prison. Teachers' in Iran have been fighting against low pay and pay disparity. On April 16 teachers demonstrated outside Educational Ministry buildings across Iran. In 2010 Hashemi was sentenced to five years in prison in 2010 for “pursuing [teachers’] trade demands” and “meeting the families of imprisoned teachers” Hashemi was also charged with “gathering and collusion to disrupt national security” and “propaganda against the system”. Hashemi was also sentenced to three...

Iran: the deal and the prospects

On 2 April, in Lausanne, the USA, the EU, other diplomats, and Iran announced a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme and in return to lift economic sanctions against Iran. In Iran, people took to the streets to celebrate. Business moguls worldwide celebrated more quietly about the prospect of new access to Iran’s oil and gas wealth and its markets. The deal is said to include severe cuts in Iran’s nuclear programme but to open the door for sanctions, which have boosted increasing economic chaos in Iran, to end within six months or a year. US leaders are also anxious to solidify collaboration...

Iranian teachers fight poverty pay

Earlier this month, as part of a two-month-long campaign against low pay and pay disparity, hundreds of teachers protested outside the Iranian regime’s “parliament”. In addition 600 teachers in Tehran, thousands more demonstrated in provinces throughout Iran. One of the teachers’ slogans was: “We complain due to disparity, not poverty” (Ma az fargh minalim na az faghr) – a play on the words fargh (difference or disparity) and faghr (poverty). The teachers want an end to the pay discrimination they have endured for many years, and are demanding the same pay as other state employees who have...

Free Shahrokh Zamani and Reza Shahabi!

On Saturday 10 January over forty people came to hear poets speak out for Shahrokh and Reza and a fundraising gig. The gig raised £200 for legal defence funds for jailed Iranian trade unionists as well as attendees taking away petitions to gather signatures. Morad Shirin of the Iranian Workers Solidarity Network spoke about the situation for Shahrokh and Reza as well as for the Iranian working class generally, and poet Janine Booth performed a sonnet for Shahrokh and Reza. In other campaigning, bus workers on strike on 13 January signed petitions on picket lines, and put petitions in their...

Syria: four million refugees

Lebanon has now revoked the six month residency that it granted Syrians and is enforcing new visa restrictions. Since 2011 four million Syrians have been forced to leave Syria. Almost half Syria’s population of 11 million people have been displaced. Lebanon alone has taken in 1.5 million refugees. Many refugees are now living in only slightly worse conditions than the local population and competition for work, aid and resources is now provoking a backlash among Lebanese; a further 220,000 became unemployed in the last quarter of 2014. In comparison, the UK has taken just 1,500 asylum seekers...

Iranian workers protest

On Sunday, November 16, 1000 construction workers protested outside the Iranian regime’s “parliament”. They were protesting against proposed changes to the social insurance law. Workers have written to the Iranian regime’s “MPs” protesting against the change to the social insurance law approved by the Health Commission of “parliament”. Under this plan there will effectively be no new building workers insured and 400,000 of those currently insured by the Social Security Organisation will also lose their insurance. The reduction of the number of workers insured will help developers to boost...

Solidarity with Iranian women facing attack!

Women in the central Iranian city of Isfahan have been attacked with acid because of the way they were dressed. The official press reports four women were attacked, but some put the number as high as 15. This attack comes as Iranian government is discussing measures to address “bad hijab”. Proposals would give confidence to the “morality police” and encourage semi-official militias to harass women. Regime officials claim the attacks are unconnected. However the attackers all used a motorcycle and many litres of acid, suggesting a connection. Paradoxically regime officials also claim that...

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