Country: Iran
ICHR strongly demands the release of Labor activist As’ad Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, and calls on Iran’s Government must to stop all the arrests, prosecutions, torture & ill-treatments of all political, Conscience, human rights defenders, lawyers, and labour rights activists prisoners.
As’ad Behnam Ebrahimzadeh sentence to six years in prison which he must serve five to be able to appeal, also he has been ordered to copy three books by hand. Engaging in peaceful activities including attending protests by sugar mill workers in southwestern Iran is not a crime yet he is imprisoned for it.
His trial on March 16, 2019, only lasted 10 minutes, and he was not allowed time to prepare a defense as well as he was denied access to a lawyer.
“By law he should have been given a week’s notice to prepare for the trial and have a chance to appear with a lawyer, but he was denied all that due process.” Said Ardeshir Zarezadeh, Advocacy Director for Iran, and The Middle East at ICHR Canada.
As’ad Behnam Ebrahimzadeh was Arrested by the agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Intelligence Organization in Tehran on December 12, 2018, the 41-year-old was held for 35 days mostly in solitary confinement in Evin Prison’s Ward 2-A before being transported to court without prior notice or the presence of his lawyer.
During a 10-minute trial in February 2019 at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran presided by Judge Iman Afshari, Ebrahimzadeh was sentenced to one year in prison for the charge of “propaganda against the state” and five years in prison for “membership in illegal organizations.” After the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, Ebrahimzadeh would serve five years of that sentence, subject to appeal.
He has been previously Prisoned for seven years until his release in June 2017 for charges related to his trade union activities, advocacy of children’s rights, and for calling for the release of political prisoners.
According to Iran’s governments crackdown laws Independent unions are not allowed to protest, or strike as often they lose their jobs and risk getting arrested, and when the labor leaders whom attempted to organize workers and bargain collectively are prosecuted under national security charges and sentenced to long prison sentences such as Ebrahimzadeh.
ICHR strongly demands the release of Labor activist As’ad Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, and calls on Iran’s Government to stop all the arrests, prosecutions, torture & ill-treatments of all prisoners of political, Conscience, human rights defenders, lawyers, and labour rights activists.