Although Iran is
renowned for its rampant and every increasing list of human rights violations,
the violation of teachers’ rights, is particularly dangerous as a result of the
important role teachers play in shaping Iran’s future.
The increased
intensity and breadth of violence against teachers at the hands of the security
apparatus and the judiciary coupled with the desire to cover up the economic
challenges and hardships facing teachers unions, not to mention the illicit confrontations
against teachers unions, and increasing pressure on social activists and
teachers are highly concerning and require dire attention by educational institutions
and human rights organizations.
As we approach
World Teachers’ Day (October 5th) and the beginning of the academic
year in Iran, let us once again focus our attention on the human rights
violations in Iran and in particular the blatant human rights violations
against civil activists and teachers. Let us commemorate the memory of the honorable
teacher Farzad Kamangar arrested in 2006 and executed in 2010. Let us focus on
the extensive arrest of teachers since 2009 and bring attention to the hundreds
of verdicts that have led to teachers losing their jobs, being held in
detention in exile and deprived of participation in trade unions after the
civil demonstrations that took place in 2006 and 2007; unfair verdicts that
were issued by the Disciplinary Violation Board of the Ministry of Education at
provinces throughout Iran and continue to be issued today. Let us be reminded of the continued illegal
banning of teachers from participation in trade unions across our beloved land.
The challenges
facing Iranian teachers are not limited to human rights violations. Today
teachers also face exceedingly higher levels of economic hardship. Not only did
teachers not receive the projected wage increases afforded to them under the
law this past year, but new provisions were also passed leading to salary cuts
for many teachers living in the provinces.
Furthermore, many teachers have been subjected to the pressures of
verdicts leading to dismissals from their jobs, incarceration and even
execution; this while articles 26 and 27 of the Constitution of the Islamic
Republic of Iran protect the right to membership in religious, civic and
political institutions as a fundamental right of every Iranian citizen, a right
that is also protected under international human
rights conventions – conventions that the Iranian government has signed onto
and promised to uphold.
Despite
their supposed commitment to international human rights conventions, the
authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have in reality repeatedly demonstrated
their lack of responsibility towards upholding such laws and have in fact in
many cases acted against the laws of their own country. Simple requests by civil activists and
teachers unions to gather or meet with members of the parliament have led to violent
confrontations between activists, security officials and judicial authorities
who view the legitimate demands of teachers as a threat to society, leading to
the Revolutionary Courts filing cases against them.
As we embark upon
yet another academic year in Iran it is incumbent upon us to continue to insist
that the Islamic Republic of Iran upholds both international conventions and
the domestic laws in Iran as it pertains to teachers and civil activists. We
therefore call upon all civil activists across the globe to join us from
September 29th to October 5th, 2012. Let us be the voice for the suffering Iranian
teachers and in particular those teachers behind bars. Let us inform the world of the violated
rights of Iranian teachers and do everything in our power to uphold their
demands.
A. Teachers Behind Bars
The following list
is not complete, for many teachers are fearful to share information that may
result in a backlash by the security apparatus in Iran.
B. A.
Teachers Summoned by the Police, Security and Judicial Apparatus
In addition to the aforementioned
arrests and incarcerations of teachers, many have been summoned by the police,
security and judicial apparatus and subjected to interrogations, threats and
judicial convictions. The following are examples of such cases:
Siyavash Eslami, a member of the Sari Teacher’s Union was
arrested as a result of his participation in demonstrations following the
presidential elections in 2009. Eslami
was sentenced to one year prison and 76 lashes on charges of collusion against
national security. His sentence was later reduced to 37 lashes by the appeals
court and implemented on the 30th day of Shaban.
Mohamad-ali Hassan
Shirazi, Mansoor Mirzayee, Mohamad Javad
Hessami, Ahmad Changizi, Mohamad-ali Shahedi, Ramazan-ali Nejati,
Mohamad-mahdi Sedighi, Mohamad-hossein Dehghanpoor and Ali Ghoochani, members
of the Teachers Union of the city of Yazd were all sentenced to prison by the 1st
Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court In Yazd, on a variety of charges
including propaganda against the regime, illegal activities such as lectures, attending
illicit meetings, gathering and issuing statements, provoking other teachers into
launching a hunger strike and the closure of classes. They were sentenced to 7
years suspended imprisonment.
Bahedin Maleki, Ramin Zandnia, Ali Ghorishi, Mokhtar
Assadi, Peiman Nodinian, heidar Zaman, Reza Hatami, Kamal Fakoorian, Mostafa
Sarbazan, Mohamad- sedigh Sadeghi, Hiva Ahmadi, Ezatolah Nosrati, and Parviz
Nassehi were all summoned, interrogated and threatened by the security
officials in the province of Kurdistan on May 2nd, 2012. The
aforementioned individuals were summoned to the 5th branch of the
Inquiry Office for their final defense.
On May 23rd, 2010, Mohammad Mahdi Sedighi, a
member of the teachers union in the city of Yazd, was summoned to the Security and
Intelligence office of the IRGC, and subjected to interrogation until 11pm in
the evening.
Mohamad Tavakoli, a member of the teachers union in the city of Kermanshah was
summoned and threatened to detention on August 11th, 2012.
On June 13th 2012, Abass Nazari, a school teacher in the city of
Ahar was also summoned to the Third Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court
in the City of Tabriz.
Campaign
for the Support of Imprisoned Teachers
September 2012
