Two days of rally outside Sanandaj Prison and Court to protest Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention!

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Tuesday March 25, 2008 18:08 by pat c - The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi

For Immediate Publiction.

Important Updates as of March 24, 2008

On March 23, 2008 in response to a call by the Committee in Defence of Mahmoud Salehi, workers and labour activists from the cities of Sanandaj, Karaj, Kamyaran, Rasht, Tehran, Oshnovieh, Saqez, Boukan gathered outside the central prison in Sanandaj to protest Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention beyond his scheduled 23 March 2008. This rally took place from 8:00 AM to 12 PM and protesters vowed to continue their protests until Mahmoud Salehi is freed. The prison authorities who felt the pressure from the protesters explained that Mahmoud had not yet been released because the judicial offices have been closed due to the Iranian New Year holidays.

Mahmoud’s family went to the Sanandaj Justice Department on Monday March 24th to make inquiries about the excuses to keep Mahmoud behind bars and to demand his immediate freedom. They were again supported by about labour activists and family members. This protest that lasted about three hours was surrounded by security forces. One participant, named Behrooz Sohrabi, was arrested and harassed and reportedly beaten. After protesters demanded his release they freed him a couple hours later.

The judiciary authorities promised to allow Najibeh Salehzadeh, Mahmoud’s wife, to visit him today at 4 PM and that they would issue a release order for Mahmoud to be freed from prison on Wednesday, March 26th. Najibeh along with Mahmoud’s brother and sister went to the court and protesters at the same time submitted a petition in which they demanded Mahmoud’s immediate freedom. Since these kinds of promises have been made before, protesters will continue their actions until Mahmoud Salehi is freed.

According to the latest report by the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, Mahmoud ended his dry hunger strike on Monday, March 24th after meeting with his wife and family members at 4:00 PM. Mahmoud’s family, on behalf of the protesters as well as all concerned friends asked him to stop his hunger strike. Mahmoud appreciated all efforts by protesters and everyone else and agreed to stop his dry hunger strike, but he said he will immediately start a wet hunger strike as of March 24th until he is freed from prison( wet hunger strike usually means only drinking water or Tea but no food at all ). Mahmoud’s dry hunger strike lasted seven days.

The Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi reports that there are new charges against Salehi in addition to ‘communicating with those outside prison for the purposes of issuing messages of solidarity ...’ They are also charging Salehi in relaton to two incidents during which there were protests in prison agianst the quality and quantity of food and the prisoners’ refusal to eat as well a protest action by the prison’s inmate cleaners for a better weekly pay.

Mahmoud Salehi was on a total (dry) hunger strike since March 17, 2008. There has been mounting concerns for his life. Many labour organizations and activists have urged Salehi to end his dry hunger strike, but he has expressed his determination that either he has to be rightfully freed from prison or he would continue with his hunger strike. Salehi’s lawyer, his family and many labour and progressive organizations in Iran and abroad have strongly condemned the refusal by the government authorities to free Salehi on March 23rd, 2008. His lawyer has told in an interview that judicial authorities must be hold accountable for any harm done to Salehi. Protest actions in support of Salehi, such as the one mentioned above, need to continue urgently until government authorities withdraw their new charges against Salehi and release him from prison. Other actions are being organized in different countries by the activists of Iran ’s labor movement abroad, and numerous labour, progressive and human rights organization internationally have issued statements.

For more information contact: [email protected] or [email protected].

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran

Background Information: http://www.workers-iran.org

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