May Day: Calls Grow For Release Of Iranian Labor Activists And Workers
The Iranian Writers' Association (IWA) has called for the unconditional release of all imprisoned workers and labor activists on the eve of International Workers' Day, May 1st.
The Iranian Writers' Association (IWA) has called for the unconditional release of all imprisoned workers and labor activists on the eve of International Workers' Day, May 1st.
The statement released Tuesday noted that over 1,600 strikes and protests occurred last year, emphasizing that "such a large number of demonstrations shows both the extent of the looting of the labor force and the rampage by those in power."
IWA expressed concern that "bread, housing, meat, clothing, and fruit are not the only things that are disappearing from people's tables and becoming a dream of their minds, but their culture is disappearing as well, including education, books, cinema, theater, and music... Every day is Workers’ Day in Iran,” the statement read.
International Workers' Day commemorates the concerted protests of American workers on May 1, 1886, when they called for a nationwide strike for the first time, demanding an eight-hour workday instead of a fourteen-hour workday.
Many countries worldwide observe this day by holding street demonstrations organized by trade unions.
In Iran, unlike many countries, May 1st is not an official holiday.
Even though Iran's constitution appears to allow the formation of independent trade union organizations of workers, the Labor Law lists specific organizations that workers may only join, like the Islamic Labor Council. In essence, it has denied workers the right to form independent and free unions.
Nevertheless, several calls were made on Tuesday for nationwide strikes and protests, including from student organizations, women's groups, and youth groups under the collective name of “the national network women's revolution, life, freedom."
In this appeal, the general public was asked to participate in a strike on May 1 in protest of "the death sentence of dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi, the new hijab and chastity plan, and the poverty and misery that has been imposed on society."
Majid Mohammadi, a sociologist and political analyst, described these calls as "a low-cost way to protest" in an interview with Iran International.
According to him, the wider the strikes, “the slower the government blade will be.”
The latest strike in the country began two days ago when truck owners across Iran started a strike in protest of the reduction of fares and fuel quotas.
Iranian truck owners have engaged in similar strikes in recent years due to fuel shortages, rampant inflation, and the devaluation of the Iranian currency.
Iran has experienced no economic growth for more than a decade. In 2018, the US withdrew from the JCPOA nuclear deal, further aggravating the situation. During the past six years, Iran's national currency, the rial, has fallen 15-fold, resulting in inflation and poverty for millions of Iranians.
But, who is Babak Zanjani?
As the founder of the largest enterprise in Iran's contemporary history, Zanjani was involved in many business ventures. From transport services to construction, from owning football clubs to selling oil, he has become a tycoon both within Iran and abroad.
During ultra-hardliner populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency in the early 2010s, he was tasked with exporting oil to evade international sanctions.
Once hailed as Iran's richest man, he called himself the soldier of the Islamic revolution working on the economic front to facilitate the country's escape from crippling sanctions.
What was the source of his wealth?
Zanjani was a middleman who sold Iranian oil through companies mainly affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), helping it boost its influence in Iran’s politics far beyond its military remit.
Amid international sanctions, the ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad allowed the private sector to sell oil internationally; to that end, Zanjani and other individuals set up elaborate networks and laundered money around the globe, including in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Central Asia, aided by a mystery team.
The former tycoon once valued himself at approximately $13.5 billion, a staggering amount in a country where the majority of the economy is owned by the state. Today, one third of Iran’s population is living below the poverty line.
How did he get into trouble?
By evading the sanctions, Zanjani was subject to international penalties, including those from the European Union in December 2012 and the United States in April 2013.
However, the punishments were not only international but also domestic.
When Hassan Rouhani was elected president after Ahmadinejad’s second term (2009-2013), Zanjani was arrested and convicted. According to the new government's Ministry of Oil, Zanjani owed them $1.9 billion in oil revenues.
The shifting political environment in Iran transformed Zanjani into a figure facing legal scrutiny and international sanctions, forcing him into a highly publicized legal battle.
He was subsequently sentenced to death in 2016, but following an appeal for clemency, the penalty was reduced instead to 20 years behind bars on Tuesday.
Could he now walk free?
He has always denied all the allegations of corruption and has pledged to repay all the money he owes if he is released from prison and allowed access to his business network.
The judiciary on Tuesday said the reason behind his reduced sentence was that he “cooperated” and that “his properties abroad were identified and confirmed by experts."
According to Rasul Kohpayehzadeh, Babak Zanjani's attorney, given that more than 10 years have passed since his prison term, his client may be eligible for parole, and “his prison term could be over.”