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In a statement, Front Line Defenders referred to the arrest of retired workers and pensioners rights union activist Ismail Garami, expressing concern about his “ongoing judicial harassment” and saying he was “targeted because of his peaceful activities to promote workers’ rights, especially retired workers’ rights.
Esmail Garami was arrested on August 21 after attending the third investigation department of the Evin prosecutor’s office and was transferred to Evin prison.
Front Line Defenders calls on the authorities of the Islamic Republic to “immediately and unconditionally” release Ismail Garami and lift his imprisonment.
The statement noted that Mr. Ghalami’s arrest “appears to be linked to a peaceful rally by social security pensioners protesting against the status of their pensions and the death sentence imposed on jailed labor activist Sharif Mohammadi.”
Ms Mohammadi was arrested in December last year and sentenced to death on July 14 for “treason” by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht.
Union news sources, including the Iranian Retirement Council, announced that after judicial officers “entered” Ismail Garami’s home on August 17, they asked the union activist to go to the prosecutor’s office based on a summons from July 10.
The report said, “After calling again, I went to the court at 7 o’clock today (Sunday) [اوین] They then referred him to the third investigative unit, but there was no subpoena issued to indicate he was charged.”
The report said that “upon the decision of the investigators and case officers, an arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Galami” and he was “transferred to the Evin Jail.”
Last month in July, the Criminal Court of Tehran’s Two Kudusi Judicial Complex charged Ismail Garami with “disturbing public order and peace by organizing an illegal gathering in the name of a gathering of pensioners organized by the Social Security Organization.”
Earlier, in mid-May, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran’s 33rd District charged the retired worker with “participating in illegal gatherings to disrupt public order”, but he was released on bail of 500 million tomans.
Previously, he was arrested for taking part in union activities, including attending a union gathering of retirees, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and 74 strokes of the cane.
Over the past few months, Esmail Galami has repeatedly criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government policies toward workers and retirees on the union’s Telegram channel.
In a note, Mr. Galami said authorities said retirees should “go home, kneel in sorrow,” “pray and curse,” and “cry for their poverty and suffering,” and wrote: “So many of us went to the streets to fight for our rights. Victory is ours.”
The Islamic Republic has been involved in growing security and judicial clashes with labor activists, retirees and teachers in recent years, with dozens arrested and jailed on security charges, among other things.
These treatments have drawn widespread criticism from trade unions and labor unions around the world.
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