A female Iranian labor activist has been sentenced to seven years in prison and 74 lashes after her trial at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on August 6.
Nasrin Javadi (also known as Azam Khezri), who was arrested on International Labor Day (May 1) in Tehran, was sentenced to:
– Five years in prison on the charge of “association and collusion against national security”
– One year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the state”
– One year in prison, 74 lashes, a ban on the use of smartphones, and a ban of activities in political and social parties and groups on the charge of “disrupting public order”
Javadi used to work at Medical Distribution Company, but is now a retiree of the Social Security Organization, a member of the founding board of the Social Security Retirement Labor Council, and a member of the Free Union of Iran Workers.
She was one of 15 women taken into detention on International Labor Day, all of whom were beaten by security forces whilst being arrested. They were holding placards that read “The government betrays us, the parliament supports it”, “workers, teachers, students, unite”, and “high prices and inflation have devastated people.”
After being arrested, Javadi was one of the activists who were transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin, which has recently come under fire in a letter from 200 prisoners for terrible conditions that are causing inmates to self-harm or take tranquillizers to escape the torment.
Javadi was released on bail after a month, before being summoned to the 26th Branch of Tehran’s Court earlier this month for her trial.
Several of her fellow female labor activists are still being held in prison including Anisha Assadollahi, Asal Mohammadi, Atefeh Rangriz, Marzieh Amiri, Neda Naji, Sanaz Allahyari, and Sepideh Qolian.
Following the beatings and arrests of female labor activists who were merely taking part in a peaceful protest for their (and their fellow Iranians) workers’ rights on International Labor Day, Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) hailed the protesting workers and those demonstrating with them. She then called on the Iranian people, particularly the youth, to show their support to the activists. She also called on international human and workers’ rights bodies to condemn the Iranian Regime for its anti-worker policies and ask for the mullahs to take urgent action to release those arrested.
Source » irannewsupdate