Letter to Iran regarding the Arrests and Repression of Labour Activists and Organizations

Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street -.
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: info@leader.ir
Fax: 98-21 649 588

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President
Islamic Republic of Iran
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

 

 

Dear Sirs:

On behalf of the 56,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, I strongly protest the arrests of Ali Nejati, President, Reza Rakshan, Public Relations Director, and Rahim Boshagh, Board Member, of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company Workers’ Syndicate.  Ali Nejati and Reza Rakhshan were arrested within a few hours on February 28, 2009 and Mr. Boshagh was arrested on February 22, 2009.

In addition, five board members of the Haft Tapeh syndicate were put on trial on February 17^th and 23^rd and have been waiting for the court verdict. 

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers believes these arrests and repression of the labour activists and organizations in Iran are anti-worker.  The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is demanding the immediate and unconditional freedom of all incarcerated labour activists including the above workers, as well as Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi, Farzad Kamangar, Pedram Nasrolahi, Salam Ghaderi, Khaled Asadi, Azad Hosseini and Borhan Saeedi.

CUPW is also asking your government to respect workers’ rights to organize, assemble and strike, put an end to persecution of labour activists and not to interfere in the affairs of independent workers’ organizations.

Yours truly,

Denis Lemelin
National President

 

cc: info@leader.ir, dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir, info@judiciary.ir, iran@un.int info@workers-iran.org, ijpr@iranjudiciary.org, info@dadiran.ir, office@justice.ir, UNI, ITF, National Executive Board