Iran- Statement Number 2 on attacks on May Day Celebrations

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Wednesday May 06, 2009 14:09 by KHC - May Day Organizing Committee

Workers and freedom loving people!

This is a follow up statement to the May Day Organizing Committee’s first report on the violent attack by police and intelligence forces at the May Day rally in Laleh Park, Tehran, May 1st, 2009, during which more than 150 workers and their families as well as activists of women’s and students’ movements were arrested. The updates for public information and appropriate actions, as of today, are as follows:

Four days after the May Day police crackdown, about 130 women and men are still incarcerated. They are detained in unacceptable conditions in section 204 of Tehran’s Evin Prison.

The families of these esteemed friends have been incessantly contacting the intelligence and judicial centres, including the Islamic Revolutionary Court on Moalem Street (Teacher Street). They have been threatened by security forces and never received a clear answer from the judicial authorities. The relatives of the arrested workers have been gatherings in unity outside the court protesting the arrest of their loved ones.

The authorities have told some family members of the detainees that they have issued heavy bails of 50 to 100 million toman (US$50,000 to $100,000) for the conditional release of most of the arrested activists; however, many of the arrested workers have demonstrated high Morale and demanding their unconditional release without any bail conditions.

The May Day Organizing Committee condemns these oppressive measures and brings to the attention of all freedom-loving people of the world the fact that all these beatings and assaults demonstrate the repressive disposition of the ruling capitalism in Iran; that’s why these people are imprisoned unjustifiably and their freedom is delayed inexcusably and their families are being penalized financially. Isn’t it the Iranian government’s security and intelligence apparatus that has to be accountable for all the financial and emotional costs of these inhumane actions?!

Workers, women, students and freedom-seeking people!

Support the families of the imprisoned activists who have been gathering everyday outside the Islamic Revolutionary Court protesting the cruel and inhumane actions of the police and judicial systems. Let’s join them in solidarity!

Workers and Workers’ organization of all countries around the world!

The Iranian capitalist sate has not only attacked the May Day event across Iran in recent days, they have also raided the meeting of the consumer cooperative of the Metal-Mechanics Workers in Nemat-Abad of Tehran and arrested a number of workers.

As we all know, the celebration of May First and the declaration of workers’ demands are absolute and undeniable rights of the working class. We see ourselves in solidarity with workers of the world, and invite you all to disseminate these reports and take necessary measures to increase pressures for the unconditional freedom of all arrested activists at May Day rallies in Tehran and other parts of Iran.

1388 May Day Organizing Committee

Tehran, Iran, May 04, 2009 (Ordibehesht 14, 1388)

The May Day Organizing Committee:

- The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company

- The Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company

- The Free Union of Workers in Iran

- The Founding Committee of the Syndicate of Building 's Painters and Decoration's Workers

- The Center for Workers’ Rights in Iran

- The Collaborative Council of Labour Organizations and Activists

- The Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations

- The Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Free Workers’ Organizations

- The Women’s Council.

Send your protest letters to:

To: info@leader.ir ; dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir ; info@judiciary.ir ; iran@un.int ; ijpr@iranjudiciary.org ; info@dadiran.ir ; office@justice.ir; matbuat@mfa.gov.ir; info@police.ir

Cc: komite.hamahangi@gmail.com

Sample protest letter: Protest against repression of May Day Events in Iran

According to the May Day Organizing Committee in Tehran, the May Day rally and celebration in Tehran, which was organized by independent Iranian labour organizations in Laleh Park, on May 1st, 2009, was violently attacked by security and intelligence forces and many were beaten and over 150 people arrested. The intelligence forces brutally attacked the event’s participants including women and children, by baton and tear gas etc., and forced hundreds of people out of the park. May Day rallies in City of Sanandaj, amongst others, were also attacked by security forces and plain clothes officers and many were beaten and arrested.

Five days after the May Day police crackdown, about 130 women and men are still incarcerated. They are detained in unacceptable conditions in section 204 of Tehran’s Evin Prison.

We condemn these attacks on workers’ rights to organize and celebrate May Day events. We are asking for the immediate and unconditional freedom of all May Day detainees. We also demand that the government to respect workers’ rights to organize, assemble and strike, put an end to persecution of labour activists, free all jailed workers and not to interfere in the affairs of independent workers’ organizations.

Please mail your protest letter to (optional):

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: + 98 21 649 58 80

Leader of the Islamic Republic:
Ayatollah Sayed *Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street
Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 251 7774 2228

Head of the Judiciary:
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building
Panzdah-Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986 (may be difficult to reach)

Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 733 02 03, E-mail: mission.iran@ties.itu.int

CC: komite.hamahangi@gmail.com

You can also send your protest letters to the Iranian Embassy:

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
72 Mount Merrion Ave.
Blackrock Co.
Dublin, Ireland

Phone: (003531) 2885881
(003531) 2880252

Fax: (003531) 2834246

Email: IranianEmbassy@Ireland.com