Iranian teachers receive five year jail sentences

Mahmoud Langroodi, Mohammad Reza Niknejad and Mehdi Bohlooli, all members of the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association were sentenced this week by the Islamic Revolutionary court in Tehran to five years in jail. One of them, Mahmoud Langroodi, was already in jail serving a nine year prison sentence, which was also for trade union activities. Last year saw huge mobilisations by teachers in Iran, and these sentences are quite clearly an attempt by the Iranian government to destroy this new activism. Just last week, another labour activist, Reza Shahabi, a bus driver and labour activist, was sentenced to an additional year in prison.

Mahmoud Langroodi, Mohammad Reza Niknejad and Mehdi Bohlooli, all members of the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association were sentenced this week by the Islamic Revolutionary court in Tehran to five years in jail. One of them, Mahmoud Langroodi, was already in jail serving a nine year prison sentence, which was also for trade union activities. Last year saw huge mobilisations by teachers in Iran, and these sentences are quite clearly an attempt by the Iranian government to destroy this new activism. Just last week, another labour activist, Reza Shahabi, a bus driver and labour activist, was sentenced to an additional year in prison.