10.12.2009

Statement by Iran Khodro car workers

Issued December 6, the day before the clashes

Fellow workers and friends

During the last few days tens of workers, students and grieving mothers [a reference to mothers of young people killed following protest gatherings on December 4] have been arrested and sent to jail. Many of our colleagues and fellow workers are in prison.

Tens of students, who are our children and our allies, are incarcerated. Mothers have been held. The government is closing its eyes to reality and arresting anyone they want. The country is under the grip of security forces and people do not even have the right to gather in a public park.

• In which country is it illegal to demand payment of unpaid wages?
• In which country is it forbidden to go to a park or to climb mountains? lThe regime has banned students from climbing in case they organise political meetings under the guise of mountaineering]
• What is the crime of our grieving mothers?
• In which country is it illegal to form workers’ organisations?

Fellow workers, how dare they be so shameless? We must protest! The situation created by the government is unbearable. Freedom is a basic right for all human beings.

Long live freedom!

Translated and distributed by Hands Off the People of Iran: hopoi.org