Iranian security service attacked Ahwazi protested workers and arrests more than 30 of them

Iranian security forces have launched a mass campaign of raid and arrests against Ahwazi protested workers on Monday the 15^thof December 2018, and arrested dozens of them who participated in the demonstrations.

The arrests come after the Ahwazi strikes and demonstrations entered their 38^thday, in which the Ahwazi workers has given timeline limit up to next Friday the 21^stof December 2018 to the Iranian officials to resolve their unpaid salaries that not been paid for several months.

According to reliable sources quoted to Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights that the Khuzestan (part of Al-Ahwaz) governor Mr. Gholamreza Shariati invited a number of non-Arab steel workers on Sunday the 14^thof December 2018, wanted to differentiate among the workers through ethnic issues, but after the Ahwazi labour activist Mr. Tariq Howeizawi words, the governor plan did not work out, and the Iranian intelligence service has raided houses of more than 30 Ahwazi workers home overnight and arrested dozens of Ahwazi workers without prior notice on early hours of Monday the 15^thof December 2018.

Despite the crackdown and arrests in Ahwaz capital, the steel’s workers continued their protests on Monday in the streets and demanded release of their detained colleagues in their slogans.

The Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights has received following nameds of Ahwazi workers that been arrested on Monday the 15^thof December 2018.

Rebar rolling mills, wire and metal industry (Section one)

1. Amin Alwani
2. Morteza Akbarian

Beam rolling mill factory (Section two):

1. Karim Sayahi
2. Gharib Howeizawi
3. Jaafar Sobhani 
4. Eissa Mar’ai
5. Majid Jenadeleh
6. Mehdi Tahmasebi
7. Ahmad Nour

Steelmaking Plant (Melting):

1. Meysam Ghanawati
2. Hamed Jodaki

Kosar rolling mill:

1. Taregh Khalafi

Pipeline factory:

1. Kazem Haidari
2. Masoud Afri Nejad
3. Koroush Esmaili
4. Ali Aqba
5. Mostafa Abayat
6. Hossein Dawodi
7. Mohsen Baluti
8. Mohsen Pahbani
9. Mohammad Pour Mohsen
10. Sayed Habib Tabatabai
11. Abdolreza Dasti
12. Jasem Safar Rumzi
13. Yasser Ebrahimian
14. Ali Etmami
15. Sayed Ali Jawadpour
16. Jawad Gholami

Machine Manufacturing Factory:

1. Hafez Kana’ani
2. Hamed Baseri
3. Fariborz Sheykh Robat
4. Ehsan Yousefi

According to human rights activists quoted that, Iranian security forces stormed the house of Karim Sayahi at 1:30 am in Ahwaz time when his wife was at home, beat him in front of his wife’s eyes, and confiscated his computer and his mobile phones.

Karim Sayahi is a steel company’s worker and played a leading role in the labour demonstrations that have spread out in Ahwaz in recent months. Karim is respected and appreciated by all steel workers for his daring and friendship in highlighting the workers’ claims and known as voice of all the demonstrated workers.The Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights condemns the arrests and crackdown against Ahwazi workers and peaceful strikes, demanding the immediate release of the arrested workers and the payment of their salaries and entitlements.

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights

17-December-2018