An appeal from Education International (the international confederation of teacher trade unions) and the Swedish teachers' union.
From Education International:
Brussels, 12 August 2008
Dear colleagues,
Farzad Kamangar, a 33-year old teacher and former trade unionist from the Kurdistan Province of Iran, is at risk of execution following the ruling issued at an unfair trial.
In recent weeks, EI has written to the Iranian Government to request a fair trial for Farzad Kamangar and other union activists who are under arrest. In spite of joint efforts from various national and international organisations to have death sentence of Farzad Kamangar communted, it was upheld by the Supreme Court on 11 July 2008. In addition, Iranian trade union colleagues and human rights activists who show solidarity with Farzad are being subjected to pervasive intimidation by the Iranian authorities.
The arrest, detention and condemnation of trade unionists because of their human and trade union activities are not only serious violations of trade union rights, but also create an atmosphere of fear prejudicial to trade union development in Iran.
*Background Information*
Kamangar, who worked as a teacher in rural areas and was a human rights activist, is accused of being a terrorist through his alleged affiliation to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK. According to his lawyer, Khalil Bahramian, there is no evidence to justify the judgement that Mr Kamangar has "endangered national security". His lawyer, who was not permitted to defend him, says Farzad's trial was not in accordance with article 168 of the Iranian Constitution: "Political and press offences will be tried openly and in the presence of a jury, in courts of justice." In this case, only one judge reviewed the case within five minutes and the defendant was not allowed to speak.
A support committee composed of members of the Teacher Trade Association, former colleagues of Kamangar and human rights attorneys, including Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, was established on July 21,2008 to defend the civil rights of Farzad Kamangar and to undertake legal actions to have his death sentence commuted. Following the first meeting of the Committee, three teachers were arrested and taken to the Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj, in the Iranian province of Kurdistan. Two –Hassan Ghorbani and Kaveh Rostami– are still in detention, while the third, Ahmad Ghorbani, was released on bail after two weeks. Farzad's supporters and their family members are regularly intimidated through phone calls by the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security.
In addition to opposing the death sentence, EI condemns the torture of Mr Kamangar while in detention and the subsequent denial of medical treatment. When his family was last allowed to visit him in prison, his injuries were such that he was unable to walk. EI has urged the Iranian authorities to investigate the reports of torture and to ensure that, in future, no detainee is subject to torture or ill-treatment.
To date, EI has no affiliate in Iran. However EI has received an application for membership from the Iranian Teacher' Trade Association and a representative of that organisation was invited as a guest to the last EI Congress in Berlin in 2007. Upon his return from the EI Congress, Mohammad Khaksari was harassed by the security forces. Mr Khaksari is also an active member of the 'Committee to Save Farzad' and he is among those who are being harassed by the Ministry of Intelligence.
*What can you do?*
As a national teacher association, you can undertake the following actions:
Write to the Iranian authorities > Your organisation is invited to appeal the Iranian government to:
* review the case of Farzad Kamangar and to give further clarification about the charges against him and other teacher trade unionists currently detained
* commute Farzad's death sentence
* desist from the use of torture
* allow Farzad Kamangar to have unimpeded contact with his family and his lawyer
* stop the harassment against the relatives of Farzad Kamangar and members of the Committee to Stop Farzad Kamangar's Death Sentence
* be open for a peaceful dialogue regarding the professional concerns of teachers in Iran
*Please send appeals to**:*
*President Islamic Republic of Iran*
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran 13168-43311
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
*Chief of State*
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street - Shahid Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-Mail: info@leader.ir / Fax: +98-21 649 5880(unreliable)
*Minister of Justice*
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of Justice
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., South of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 13168-14737
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-Mail: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir /Fax: +98-21 879 6671/640 4018 or 4019 (unreliable)
Please also copy your letter to the Iranian embassy in your country (in some countries, like the USA, the Embassy of Pakistan looks after the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran), as well as to EI(headoffice@ei-ie.org or fax +32 2 224 0606)
Give visibility to the situation of Farzad Kamangar and of teachers in Iran in your magazine, on your website, during meetings and via other appropriate means.
EI will of course keep you updated on all developments. For additional information or to discuss possible action, contact the EI Human and Trade Union Rights Coordinator at dominique.marlet@ei-ie.org or +32 2 224 0680
Thank you for your solidarity and ongoing support for our Iranian colleagues.
Yours faithfully,
Fred van Leeuwen
General Secretary
From the Swedish Teachers' Union
Lärarförbundet, the Swedish Teachers' Union, representing 225 000members in Sweden, and affiliated to Education International - is sharing its concerns with you about the situation of Mr. Farzad Kamangar, a 33-year old teacher and former trade unionist from the Kurdistan Province of Iran, is at risk of execution following the ruling issued at an unfair trial.
Through an alert from Education International, the global federation of teachers, it has come to our attention that Farzad Kamangar was sentenced to death on 25 February 2008 by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of "endangering national security." In spite of joint efforts from various national and international organisations to have the death sentence of Farzad Kamangar commuted, it was upheld by the Supreme Court on 11 July 2008. In addition, a number of Iranian trade union colleagues and human rights activists who show solidarity with Farzad are being arrested and subjected to pervasive intimidation by the Iranian authorities. Two of them are still in detention.
Lärarförbundet is deeply concerned about the situation of Farzad Kamangar. Farzad Kamangar has worked for 12 years as a teacher in Kamyaran. He was member of the Kurdish Teachers Trade Association and was in charge of public relations for the teacher union until it was outlawed. Farzad Kamangar was also active in defending human rights, minority rights and women's rights.
According to his lawyer, the judicial process did not meet the Iranian legal requirements. Farzad Kamangar has been held incommunicado at a series of locations: in Sanandaj in Kurdistan, in Kermanshah, in the Evin prison and currently in the Rajaishahr prison in Karaj. Reliable information indicates that he has been tortured regularly.
Lärarförbundet supports the campaigns of the Iranian Teachers' Association and of Amnesty International to re-examine the case of Farzad Kamangar through a fair trial that meets the Iranian and international standards. Lärarförbundet also urges the authorities to commute Farzad Kamangar's death sentence immediately, as the application of death penalty is irreparable and no judicial system should run the risk of condemning an innocent person. In addition to opposing the death sentence, Lärarförbundet condemns the torture of Mr Kamangar while in detention and the subsequent denial of medical treatment.
When his family was last allowed to visit him in prison, his injuries were such that he was unable to walk. Lärarförbundet urges the Iranian authorities to investigate the reports of torture and to ensure that, in future, no detainee is subject to torture or ill-treatment.
Lärarförbundet looks forward to engaging in a dialogue with the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the professional concerns of teachers in Iran while simultaneously holding them to high standards of respect for human and trade union rights.
Yours sincerely,
LÄRARFÖRBUNDET (Swedish Teachers' Union)
Sören Holm
General Secretary
Labourstart campaign
See also the general Labourstart campaign against repression of worker activists in Iran.