Iranian Workers Rights Advocate Behnam Ebrahimzadeh a Political Prisoner is on Hunger Strike Since August 9 ..........

Petition

Free Behnam Ebrahimzadeh!

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh on hunger strike since August 9, 2014

The Iranian labour activist Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a member of the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers’ Organizations and a Children's Rights advocate, has been incarcerated since June 2010.  In the infamous attack of the security forces on Evin prison’s ward 350 on April 17, 2014, Behnam was also targeted, physically attacked, and sent to solitary confinement in ward 209 for interrogations. He was brought up on new charges and was forbidden from any visitation. After he was briefly returned to the general prison population of Evin on May 2, 2014, he was sent to solitary confinement in ward 209 of Evin again for 54 days and was transferred back to the general ward of Evin on June 17, 2014.

Behnam’s family has also been targeted. On Saturday, June 29, 2014, Behnam’s wife and son arrived at Evin prison and in the end of their visitation, six security agents in civilian clothing hold them hostage,took them back to their house, raided their residence, confiscated and taken away all of their belongings. Security forces pressured Behnam’s fifteen years old son, Nima, who is afflicted with Leukemia, to hand over all of his father’s documents including the flash drives. During the attack Behnam’s wife and son were also interrogated and threatened repeatedly.

Following the raid, the prison authorities once again without any legal justification or court order transferred Behnam to the ward 209 of Evin prison, in which led to Behnam’s decision to go on hunger strike on August 9, 2014. Instead of taking Behnam grievances into consideration, the authorities transferred Behnam to a section for highly dangerous inmates at Rajaee Shahr’s prison (formerly known as Gohardasht). He has been on a hunger strike since then. 

Behnam has recently received a new charge of causing unrest in his prison and that can be used as a pretext to issue a new sentence against him.

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh demands to be returned to ward 350 (his previous ward in Evin Prison) and to receive the medical treatment he needs. Behnam suffers from severe headaches and kidney and intestine problems.

Behnam’s health is rapidlydeterioratingand he has been taken to the prison’s hospital on August 26 and there he was threatened by the prison’s authorities that if he does not end his hunger strike, he would be transferred to solitary confinement. Due to the pressure that Behnam is gravelyunder, he has announced that if his demands and needs are not going to be met by September 1, 2014, he would declare a dry hunger strike.

The Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers’ Organizations and Behnam Ebrahimzadeh Defense Committee have strongly condemned this inhuman treatment of Behnam and his family. His wife Zobeideh Hajizadeh and son, Nima Ebrahimzadeh, in an open letter addressed to workers’ organizations, Amnesty International, and other concerned individuals and organization, have pleaded for international support to help free Behnam Ebrahimzadeh.

IASWI strongly condemns these acts of violence towards labour activists and their family members in Iran. As we have emphasized previously, this is part of a coordinated policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to maximize pressures on jailed labour activists, their colleagues and family members in order to make their voices silent and continue with the oppression of the working class movement in Iran. 

Please demand immediate and unconditional release of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh by signing this petition.

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

August 29, 2014

Alex Callinicos -Professor of European Studies at King's College London, UK

Amir Mohsen Mohammadi -Writer -Freelance Journalist/Blogger-Australia

Андрей Штокман- -Political Activist-Russia

Ayoub Rahmani- (IASWI), London, UK

Azad Azizyan-Political Activist-Journalist-Kayseri, Turkey

Behrang Zandi- Political Activist-Journalist-Ankara, Turkey

Bibhusit Bista-Political Activist-Kathmandu, Nepal

Daviid McNally -Professor of Political Science, York University-Toronto. Canada

Dimitry Kolesnik - Editor of webjournal Liva.com.ua-Ukraine

Farid  C.Partovi-President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, CUPE, Local 4772-Spokesperson for the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI).Toonto,Canada

Joanne Landy, Co-Director, Campaign for Peace and Democracy, New York City, USA

John Clarke-Founder of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty-Toronto, Canada

Laleh Khalili-Professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, UK

Loretta Capeheart-Justice Studies Professor at Northeastern Illinois University, USA

Naomi Levari-Co-Founder/Producer at Black Sheep Film Production Ltd-New York City-USA

Nidal Farah-Political Activist-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Nima Ebrahimzadeh-Behnam Ebrahimzadeh's son-Iran

Majid Farahani-Political Activist-Germany

Mataz Suheil –Spokesperson for Syrian Observatory for Human Rights- Syria

Mehdi Amizesh- ‎Icdahak - ‎‎Society for defending street and working Children-Istanbul, Turkey

Mohammad Amirani-Political Activist-Copenhagen, Denmark

Parviz Shakiba- (IASWI) Toronto,Canada

Paul Le Blanc -Professor of History at La Roche College-Pennsylvania, USA

Peyman Jafari-PhD at International Institute of Social History and PhD at Universiteit Leiden / Leiden University-Netherlands

Pranav Jani -Associate Professor -Department of English-Ohio State

University, USA

Rania Masri-Assistant Professor-Department of Environmental Sciences at University of Balamand- Lebanon

Saeed Kamarn-Political Activist-Sweden

Salah  Mazoji -Member of the Central Committee of Komalah Party

Shadyar Omrani- Poet- Writer & Novelist-Ankara, Turkey

Tikva Honig- Parnass –Author, Journalist-Jews for the Palestinian Right of Return-Writer- Israel

Thomas Harrison-Co-Diector, Campaign for Peace and Democrac-New York-USA

Zhaleh Sahand-Political Activist-Houston, USA

Zobeideh Hajizade-Behnam Ebrahimzadeh's wife-Iran