Continued Workers Arrest; Protesters Call for Workers Release

On Tuesday, the 16^th day of their protest, The Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory workers demanded the release of five detainees, as well as having their demands addressed. According to some reports, four Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory workers and one civilian are still in detention.

According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, on the 16^th day of their protest, November 20^th, 2018, workers of the Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory called for the release of four of their representatives: Ismail Bakhshi, Mohammad Khannifar, Muslim Armands, and Seyed Hassan Fazeli. They also demanded the release of the civil activist, Sepideh Ghaliyan, and the immediate attention to their demands.

It is said that 15 workers of the Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory were temporarily released on bail.

The names of those who were temporarily released last night are Saeed Al-Kasir, Imad Kasir, Azim Sorkheh, Alizadeh, Saeed Mansouri, Mohammad Khannifar, Jalil Ahmadi, Iman Akhzari, Pouya Bashmeh, Omid Azadi, Shemir Ahmadi, Salamatnia, Mahmoud Saadi, Khalid Tamimi, and Mehdi Davoodi.

Hundreds of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory’s workers have been on strike for the last two weeks in protest to the privatization of the company, authorities lack of attention to their demands, and their wage arrears.

In recent days, the intensity of the protests has increased and the families of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory workers have come to the streets of Shosh to call for their demands during the rally.

While reporting on release of some of the workers, The Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Factory Syndicate wrote that “Unfortunately, until this moment, Ismail Bakhshi, Mohammad Khannifar Moslem Armand and Seyed Hassan Fazeli are not among those released tonight.”

According to the Free Trade Union of Iran Workers, “the release of these workers has taken place while all of them are charged with “disturbing the public order”.

The Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Industry Complex was handed to two private companies, Zenus and Ariak, in 2015. Since then, the workers have protested more than 300 times.