Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association Member Jafar Ebrahimi Sentenced to Four Years and Six Months in Prison

Jafar Ebrahimi, a teacher and member of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to four years and six months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the court notified Ebrahimi about the sentence sentence on charges of “spreading lies” and “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security.” The trial was held in November of 2021.

Earlier on May 19, 2020, he was indicted by Culture and Media Court for publishing official statements for the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations. He was finally released on bond pending further legal proceedings.

Approaching the anniversary of the Aban Protest, security forces arrested him while he was going to the cemetery to attend a memorial for those killed by the regime during the Aban Protests. On December 26, 2019, he stated during a phone call that he was sent to Rajai Shahr Prison. One month later, he was released on bail. At the time he was detained, he was banned from teaching by the Ministry of Education of Shahriar on the pretext of “unjustified absence”.

At Least Seven Teachers Arrested During Nationwide Teacher and Educator Protests

On January 31, at least seven teachers were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location amid nationwide protests of teachers and educators. In response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the retired and working teachers and educators protested yesterday and today in numerous cities across the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Monday, January 31, at least seven teachers were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location.

Mohammad Habibi, the spokesperson of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, mentioned on his personal social media that have the following teachers were arrested during the protests: Ali Zahmatkesh, Asghar Amirzadegan and Ghahreman Kiani in Shiraz, Ahmad Heydari, Ahmadi and Davoudi in Tehran, and Jabbar Doosti in Mariwan

Yesterday, Shaaban Mohammadi, a member of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Association was arrested in Mariwan.

Five Workers Killed and Six Others Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

On January 12, five workers lost their lives in six separate workplace accidents and six more were severely injured due to unsafe workplace conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, in Kermanshah city, a 34 year old construction worker fell from the seventh floor of a building under construction and died.

IRIB News Agency reported that in Sardasht City, a 50 year old man working on the exterior wall of a building, the wall collapsed due to rainwater permeation. The man’s head was injured severely.

IRIB also reports that in a mine near Tinuj village, Markazi Province, one miner died and five others were injured by carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to ILNA, a worker at the Electricity Distribution Company in Lahijan died after 180 days in a coma after being electrified at work.

According to ROKNA, a worker identified as Peyman Javadi died while working on an oil well at his job. He was employed by Aghajari Oil Company in Khuzestan Province.

ROKNA also reported that a municipal worker in Kordkuy City died from injuries obtained during a workplace accident. The 30 year old was cleaning a garbage truck when the carjack failed and the vehicle slipped and fell on him.

Four Workers Dead, Four Others Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

Four workplace accidents in recent days killed four workers and injured four others.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRNA, Artin Kamali, the head of Forensic Medicine of Hamadan Province, announced that a fire broke out in a workshop located in Bahar County. The fire killed a 36 year old worker.

“Investigation shows that defects in a heater in the workshop caused the fire,” he added.

According to ROKNA, a worker in Fardis City, Alborz Province, died after falling for a high height. “110 Police Emergency Center was called about the fall of a worker from the fourth floor of a building under construction in Fardis. Immediately, 11 central police officers were dispatched to the spot,” the police commander in Fardis County commented.

“The worker lost his life right after the fall,” he added.

In another workplace accident, one worker died and two others were severely injured in a turning workshop located in Gorgan City after an oxygen cylinder exploded.

Reportedly, when one of the workers was unloading the cylinders from a truck, one cylinder fell to the ground and blasted.

According to TABNAK News Agency, on December 28, in Gachsaran City, a contractor working on the city sewer network died due to the collapse of channel walls. Two other workers were also injured. According to the experts’ report, the ground became frail due to recent rainfalls, leading to the fall of the channel walls.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Two Workers Dead, Three Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

On December 20, two workers were killed and three others were injured in three workplace accidents caused by unsafe conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA, a worker in Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province cut his hand on fan blades while lubricating a ventilation system. He passed away in the hospital due to blood loss.

Also according to ISNA, a fire broke out in a commercial building in Ardabil City, severely injuring three service workers.

According to IRIB News Agency, a construction worker in Neka County, Mazandaran Province lost his life. The worker fell while installing silo parts for a livestock input production company. For unknown reasons, he fell from high and died immediately.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Director-General of Forensic Medicine of East Azerbaijan, Ali Safai, stated that during the first eight months of this year, 61 workers lost their lives in his province alone.

He elaborated, stating that, “35 workers died due to falling from high, 12 by being hit by a hard object, six by electrification, two from suffocation, one by drowning and five by fire. In addition, 1003 people have been hospitalized due to workplace accidents, of which 34 victims are women and the rest men”.

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HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran, many of which were continuations of ongoing movements.  Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations.

Friday, December 10

Following Iran’s president, Ibrahim Raisi’s, visit to Lorestan Province, a group of villagers from the area near Khorramabad gathered at the entrance of the airport, where the president was going to be received. The villagers protested against water supply management, chanting, “we don’t have drinking water”.

Similarly, a number of railway workers assembled and demanded that issues regarding supplementary insurance, official contracts and access to safety equipment be addressed.

Saturday, December 11

In response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the educators and teachers of 100 cities across the country went on a strike and held protest to demand the implementation of a plan already enacted by Parliament whereby teachers’ income will be raised in accordance with a ranking.

A number of workers of the Ahvaz Water and Wastewater Company assembled before the company building to ask for their delayed payments. A number of the workers of the Ahvaz Water and Wastewater Company assembled before the company building to protest against the recent company merger with its counterparts in rural areas. According to these protesters, the company can hardly afford to pay salaries due to the cost of the 500 additional personnel that accompanied the merger. Workers said the merger has brought the company to the verge of destruction.

A group of the workers at the mining company Toos, located in Khaf County, assembled at their workplace to protest against delays in payments and insurance issues. This protest ended with the promise by some company managers and other local authorities to address these issues.

A group of the workers of the car company Azim Khodro assembled to ask their wage demands be met and to protest against factory closure. These workers blocked the road connecting Oshtorinan City to Lorestan. Reportedly, due to some legal issues, the company is banned from operating and consequently, 180 workers have been laid off without pay.

 

Sunday, December 12

For the second consecutive day, educators and teachers in dozens of cities across the country assembled to ask for the implementation of an enacted plan to raise wages.

A group of the retirees of the Gilan’s Social Security Organization assembled before organization headquarters to ask that demands, such as raising wages above the poverty line, be filled.

Similarly, a group of the retirees of the Khuzestan’s Social Security Organization assembled in front of the organization building in Ahvaz City. They asked for the elimination of pension disparities and other demands.

Retirees of the Fulad Company Pension Fund assembled in front of the pension fund office in Isfahan City to ask for demands regarding pensions.

A group of the workers of steel company Fulad Yasuj assembled before the governorate building in Yasuj City to protest against a factory shut down due to power outages and the consequential layoff of 226 workers.

Monday, December 13

Thousands of retired and working teachers and educators, joined by other citizens, demonstrated in more than 100 cities across the country. These protests were held on December 13 at the call of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations.

Their more important demand was the implementation of a plan whereupon the incomes of teachers will be increased depending on rank, to up to 80% of the salaries of faculty members.

Several workers of petrochemical company Regal assembled in front of the governorate building in Bandar Mahshahr City. They demanded implementation a Job Ranking Plan, as well as unpaid benefits and supplementary insurance.

Tuesday, December 14

In Shiraz City, retirees of the Iran Telecommunication Industry (ITI) assembled in protest against long unpaid benefits and wages accumulated over 15 years. Reportedly, the benefits and wages of about 1500 retired workers have never been fully paid during and after company closure in the last decade.

A group of workers under recruitment of the contracting companies affiliated with Iran Electric Power Distribution Companies travelled to Tehran and assembled in front of Parliament. On that day, the conditions of contractual workers were discussed in the parliament. The protesters asked for removing private contracting companies and to be employed directly by the Electric Power Distribution Companies.

Workers of petrochemical company Takhte-Jamshid, located in Bandar Imam Khomeini Petrochemical Special Economic Zone, assembled before the company entrance to protest against low wages. They said that after adopting the Job Classification Plan, wages have not been significantly raised. Even worse, in some cases, wages have been decreased.

Residents of the village Lavar-Sharghi in Dashti County, located in Bushehr Province, assembled on the road connecting the village to the center part of the county. They said that heavily loaded vehicles from a cement factory caused consdierable damage to the road.

Wednesday, December 16

A number of personnel of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in East Azerbaijan Province held a protest before ministry offices to protest against low wages and irregularity in payments.

A number of contracted teachers assembled before Tehran’s <inistry of education to ask for their demands. They chanted that they would not go to work until their issues were addressed.

In Tehran, a group of taxi drivers assembled before the Municipal Taxi Organization’s building. Sccording to a protestor, the company has refused to deliver cabs despite the drivers paying 60 million tomans (14,280 USD). In a violation of the purchase contract, the company has requested additional payment, claiming the price of a car has increased by 18%.

A number of farmers in Hirmand City in Sistan and Baluchestan Province assembled in front of governorate building to protest against cuts to fuel portions for water engines and tractors. 

Thursday December 16

Hundreds of educators and teachers in Hamedan Province held protests in front of the building the Ministry of Education. They asked for the implementation of the Ranking Plan, wage raises, and the freeing of detained teachers.

The Latest on the Teachers and Educators’ Protests

After several consecutive days of protests, thousands of retired and working teachers and educators, joined by supporters, demonstrated in more than 100 cities across the country. These protests were held on December 13 by the call of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, demands included the implementation of an already-enacted plan whereupon the incomes of teachers will be increased depending on rank, to up to 80% of the salaries of faculty members. 

They also asked for unpaid severance payments for retirees who went into pension last year. The implementation of this plan will reduce disparities in income and pay gaps. 

Chants included “teacher wake up, stand up against discrimination”, “Free Imprisoned teachers”, “If our problem is not solved, the school will be closed”.

In these demonstrations, some protesters had some handheld placards with slogans in support of the recent protests in Isfahan against water supply mismanagement.

In Alborz Provinces and in Tehran (in front of Parliament), these protests turned violent due to the interference of security forces.

In Saqqez City, teachers chanted in support of Amanj Amini, the teacher who had been previously arrested, beaten and mistreated by security forces during the protest.

Educator and Civil Activist Rasoul Bodaghi Arrested Violently by Security Forces  

On December 11, Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Board of Directors and the Coordination Council of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association was arrested by security forces in his home.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Teachers’ Trade Association, security forces raided his house and arrested him violently. They also searched the house and confiscated his cell phone, as well as his wife’s.

The reasons for the arrest, his whereabouts and the security institution responsible for his arrest are still unknown at the time of writing.

Park Ranger Assistant Dead, Worker Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

In two recent workplace accidents, park ranger assistant died in Khaf City and a worker was injured severely in Mashhad City. On December 9, a national park ranger assistant who had been injured during the patrol died from injuries. Last Wednesday, a worker was injured while drilling a water well.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna News Outlet, a fifty year old worker was trapped in a well due to falling walls. The rescue team and firemen finally could pull him out of the debris.

In another workplace accident, as reported to IRNA News Agency, Abdolahad Sarboozi, a national park ranger assistant in Khaf County, fell from his motorcycle due to a bumpy road and was injured severely. On December 4, he died in the hospital.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Asghar Firoozi and Alireza Saghafi Summoned to Endure Their Sentences

Political activist Asghar Firoozi and workers’ rights activist Alireza Saghafi were summoned to endure their sentences by the executive units of the courthouses of Mashhad and Karaj, respectively.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Firoozi was arrested by security forces in Mashhad. After the December 2018 arrests, he was sentenced to three months in prison.

Saghafi was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj City on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

“The court letter… was sent to Mr. Firoozi’s workplace, and because he was not present, agents searched the institution and asked his colleagues to hand the letter to him. Similarly, agents went to Mr. Saghafi’s workplace,” an informed source told HRANA.

Both activists have previously faced other arrests and convictions for their civil activities.