Khalil Karimi, a construction worker and a member of the Iranian Free Trade Union of Workers in Sanandaj, was sentenced to imprisonment by a branch of a court in the city of Sanandaj.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, on Saturday, November 17th, 2018, the Branch of a Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj, headed by Judge Saeedi, sentenced the worker activist Khalil Karimi to one-year imprisonment for participating in the “International Labor Day”, “Supporting the Campaign- No to the execution of Ramin Hossein Panahi”, and officially informed him of the verdict.
According to a statement received by Mr. Karimi, he has 20 days to introduce himself to Sanandaj prison to serve his sentences.
The prohibition of independent and peaceful gatherings during the working day is a clear indication of continued persecution of labor activists in Iran.
Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 8 of the International Agreement on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights protect the right to form or join trade unions. Iran is a member of both of these covenants. Iran is also a member of the International Labor Organization, but refrains from signing its 87th convention on the freedom of association and protection of the right to organize and the Convention 98 on the right to organize and bargain collectively.