[IRÁN] The Statement by a Group of Writers, Journalists, Political Activists, and Labor Activists to Support Shahrokh Zamani

The Statement by a Group of Writers, Journalists, Political Activists, and Labor Activists

to Support Shahrokh Zamani

After a month of hunger strike by the workers’ activist, Shahrokh Zamani, and the silence of the Human Rights organizations, we, a number of political activists, journalists, writers and members of the workers unions, take it as our responsibility to bring in the support from Human Rights organizations and workers activists around the world whilst expressing our support of Shahrokh Zamani’s demands and therefore insist on the necessity for urgent processing to end his hunger strike and seeking his freedom.

Shahrokh Zamani, a 49-year-old worker and painter, a member of The Provisional Board for Reopening of House-Painter Workers’ Union and the Follow-up Committee to Set up Free Labor Organizations, was arrested in Tabriz on June 8th transferred to Tabriz Intelligence Prison. On August 18th of the same year he was sentenced to a 10 year imprisonment, with the charge of founding opposition groups, and another 1 year for the charge of propaganda against the regime.

Zamani, in the past two years of serving his imprisonment, has been sent to 4 different prisons: first as exiled to Yazd prison, then returned to Tabriz, then after transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj and since March 11th 2014, he has been exiled to Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj, where there is no other political prisoners. He has been deprived from even minor humane rights and suffered the harshest and inhumane conditions. Since his transfer to Ghezelhesar Prison, on March 11th on hunger strike and now, past a month, he is suffering from critical health conditions. Yet, no prison authorities or authorities of Islamic Regime of Iran has paid any attention to his demands.

The only practical way to save Shahrokh Zamani is to send this labor activist’s voice out the prison and support him unanimously by workers.

We, the signatories, support Shahrokh Zamani’s demands and claim the release of Labor activists from the prisons of the Islamic Regime of Iran.