We, workers of Sanandaj like many workers of the world celebrated 1st May last year. On this day we participated in the protest meetings and gatherings with our families and demanded our wages that had not been paid for many months. We issued resolutions demanding the right of assembly and a humane life. This is the day when workers all over the world come to the streets and show their solidarity for their common cause. However we were attacked by security forces. We were arrested, beaten up and humiliated. The jailed worker activists were tortured and severely punished. Why? What have we done to deserve such brutal treatment? Why don’t the authorities declare officially that obtaining a humane life in this country is a crime?
Following the arrests and the floggings, workers were temporarily released provided they would pay a fine. A few months before 1st May 2007, the worker activists who had been released were summoned again by the officials. They were again flogged. We are workers whom labour is bought cheap and not paid either. When we protest against it they flog us! This is slavery. We wage labourers are being flogged by the capitalist state. We will not be silenced. They have left us nothing but poverty and hunger. Not satisfied with that, they flog our weak bodies! Our sisters, spouses, brothers, youth and children have been flogged on numerous occasions. Now it is our turn! They flog us! We are not ashamed. They are flogging us because we are demanding our rights.
Workers of the world, our class mates! Human Rights organization, Trade Unions!
We urge you all to turn 6th March into a global action day in support of working class in Iran. Let’s make it a day to protest against the imprisonment of Mansour Osalnoo and Mahmoud Salehi, to protest against flogging of workers in Iran. We are not asking you, we are not begging you. We all have the same fate! We expect you to show your solidarity with the working class in Iran in order to prevent the Iranian regime from flogging and suppressing workers in Iran. We in Iran do not even have the right to breath! This is a letter to all people who seek freedom and human dignity. We urge the international mass media to reflect our news and this letter. We urge all to raise the picture of Iranian jailed workers and parade in the streets on 6th March and protest against floggings and suppression of workers. Tell the world what is happening to workers in Iran.
Signature of workers condemned to flogging:
Yadolah Moradi
Khaled Savari
Rajabi
Fars Goolian
Sadigh Amjadi
Sadigh Sabhani
Abbas Anvaryan
Eghbal Lotfi
