A labor union in Iran has denounced Sharifeh Mohammadi’s death sentence from the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Rasht as a governmental tactic to instill fear in society to deter collective organizing efforts.
In its statement Saturday, the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association condemned the jailed labor activist’s sentence, citing the association’s mission to defend the rights of social activists and express solidarity with other unions and civil organizations. The union characterized the sentence as “inhumane and unjust.”
Mohammadi reportedly has been subjected to physical and torture at the hands of intelligence interrogators during her detention and was placed for several months in solitary confinement, according to her family.
Human rights, labor, and trade union activists and organizations in Iran, alongside global human rights organizations and labor unions, have joined Iranian activists like Masih Alinejad and Hamed Esmaeilion in condemning the death sentence.
Retirees in several Iranian cities and Iranian protesters in Europe and Canada have held demonstrations, highlighting the imperative to overturn the death sentence and secure her release. There also have been widespread protests on social media against the death sentence.
Esmail Abdi, a teachers’ union activist who himself was arrested and imprisoned on security charges, posted on social media platform X, “Nearly all union activists, independent civil activists, intellectuals, writers, syndicates, and grassroots groups have condemned and protested against the fabricated charges and unjust death sentence imposed on Sharifeh Mohammadi. This widespread support underscores the credibility of this labor activist. She should be released immediately and unconditionally.”
The Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association based in Tehran said that “the formation of unions and engagement in activities related to livelihood and public demands are fundamental human rights as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
The association described Mohammadi’s action as consistent with the pursuit of the fundamental right, unless proven otherwise in a fair judicial process that includes a public trial, jury participation, and legal representation for the accused.
The association said in reference to security and judicial crackdowns on union activists over the past four decades, “despite hundreds of judicial rulings against teachers, workers, retirees, and students, the demands of social movements have persisted unabated.”
The statement continues, “The imposition of a death sentence on this labor activist will not deter these movements from pursuing their societal objectives, as evidenced by the unified solidarity among trade unions, civil and political activists, and associations representing teachers, workers, women’s rights advocates, retirees, and students in condemning this inhumane verdict.”
In this statement, emphasis is placed on the Woman, Life, Freedom movement as one of the foremost movements in contemporary Iranian history, achieving notable milestones such as women and girls taking leadership roles in demanding rights from the government.
The Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association underscored that “the recent rise in security and judicial actions against active women across various social sectors can be understood and analyzed from this standpoint.”
The Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association based in Tehran also stated: “The detention of trade union, civil, and political activists and the imposition of severe judicial sentences, which escalated following the Mahsa/Jina movement, underscore a widening divide between the populace and the government, reaching its apex in recent years.”
They continued: “Reversing death sentences for political and civil activists, particularly the one imposed on Sharifeh Mohammadi, and releasing all labor, trade union, political activists, and advocates for women’s rights, could represent an initial step by the government in narrowing this gap. However, a clear path toward achieving this remains elusive.”
Mohammadi, a former member of the Coordinating Committee to Form Workers’ Organizations, was detained in December 2023 and sentenced to death on July 4 by the Revolutionary Court on charges of “rebellion.”
The sentence is based on accusations by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic that Mohammadi was a member of the armed Kurdistan-based Komala Party, an accusation Mohammadi, her husband, Sirous Fathi, and Komala have strongly denied.
Additionally, the Coordinating Committee to Form Workers’ Organizations, of which Mohammadi was a member in the 2000s, has also refuted the charges against her.
