May 15th, 2008

Source: Human Rights and Democracy activists in Iran

Based on reports received from Shoush, this morning when the workers and their families were peacefully marching from the commander’s office of Shoush toward the bazar  they were brutally attacked by the disciplinary guards; they took to viciously assaulting them and their families, beating their young children with night sticks. The paramilitary forces sped up and drove their cars into the crowd however some of the workers who laid down prevented the cars from plunging into the families and children. Several workers were injured as a result of this brutal attacks of the disciplinary guards. The commanders who ordered the attack on the workers, their families and young children were: Colonel Danesh, Captain Darioush Mowlaie and Major Khosrow-Pour.  Major Ali-Karam Khosrow-Pour personally participated in insulting and viciously beating the workers. At present the workers, accompanied by their families are in Sawat Circle in the city of Shoush, surrounded by paramilitary forces, disciplinary guards and intelligence agents.  The workers continue their protest and are chanting slogans such as: disciplinary forces, shame, shame, shame on you”.

Haft-Tappeh sugar cane workers followed through their eleventh (11th) day of their protests and strike. They have announced that they have every intention of intensifying their protests and that they will continue their protests until they have resolved all of their claims.

The slogans that the workers and the families chanted while in front of the Shoush commander’s office were as follows: “Our monthly wages are our absolute right”, “Our livelihood and right to a life is our absolute right”, “Shafiei shame on you, release Haft-Tappeh”, “Death to Shafiei”, “Death to Zeybdawri”.

The demands of the striking workers of Haft-Tappeh sugar cane are as follows:

• Compensation of two (2) months worth of backpay
• Putting an end to the scheming and framing the workers as well as summoning them to the revolutionary court
• Discharging the general director of the company, Yaghoub Shafiei, as well as dismissal of the board of directors
• Dismissal of the regime’s representative, an individual by the name of Zeybdawri who has played a direct role on spying, oppressing, attacking and framing the workers.

Translated from Persian to English by Planet Iran staff