Please respond to this appeal, just in, from Eric Lee at Labour Start:
A few days ago I wrote to tell you about the increased repression directed against Iranian labour activists.
I told you about the case of two women in particular, Sousan Razani and Shiva Kheirabadi (at left), who have been sentenced to jail terms and whipping for the “crime” of having participated in a May Day demonstration this year.
I told you that Sousan was sentenced to receive 15 lashes and 4 months in prison.
We have now received the shocking news that it is actually worse than that.
Sousan has been ordered to receive 9 months in prison and 70 lashes.
In the last few days we have received photographs of Sousan and Shiva. I wish that every trade unionist, every person who cares about human rights, could look at those photographs today. You can see them on our campaign page: http://www.labourstart.org/iran
The campaign that we launched is now running in an unprecedented ten languages, with more to come. And so far, 3,448 people have sent off messages to the Iranian government.
This is not enough.
We must all redouble our efforts in the next few days to prevent this barbaric sentence from being carried out, to prevent the execution of the teacher Farzad Kamangar, and to push for the release of all jailed worker activists in Iran.
I know that there are 50,000 of you reading this message who have not yet sent off your protests. Please do not wait – go here now: http://www.labourstart.org/iran
For those of you who already did send off your message, thank you — but please do more.
Please pass this message on. Help us mobilize thousands more trade unionists in support of our sisters and brothers in Iranian jails.
If you are on Facebook, make sure to sign up to our cause – and sign up your Facebook friends, here:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/110025
August is a very difficult time to mobilize people. Many who would ordinarily be supporting this campaign are away on holiday. That’s why it’s so important that if you are reading this message, you act now.
Sousan and Shiva need our help. Let’s not fail them.
Thank you.
Eric Lee
Labour Start campaigns are featured on this page, in the right hand column, under “Campaigns.” Please check it regularly and take action. Better yet, get yourself on Eric’s mailing list, which you can do by selecting that option when you participate in any of his campaigns. An act of solidarity is just a click away.
Paul S. Graham 