On October 12, 2024, the lawyer of Mohammad Habibi, spokesperson for the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association (CCITTA), announced that the Tehran Court of Appeal had upheld the decision of the Shahryar Revolutionary Court.
On November 5,Mohammad Habibi was summoned to the court.
On November 11, after attending with his lawyer, he was arrested and transferred to Tehran’s Evin prison.

This sentence of six months and one day for propaganda against the regime is in fact linked to his protests against poisoning affair in schools, especially those for girls’ ones. It is part of measures to silence activists calling for justice and political transparency.

The poisonings began in late November 2022 and intensified in the spring of 2023, raising concerns and theories ranging from systemic misogyny to collective psychosis. The government ignored the use of toxic substances against girls at schools and refused independent investigations.
After fishy arrests and confessions, the regime attributed the poisoning to the enemies of Iran or to mass hysteria. However, this affair raised questions
about possible links between the regime and religious extremism, making the government accountable in the eyes of activists and the public.

Mohammad Habibi and his colleagues believe that trade unionists must support teachers’ demands and defend students’ rights. They believe that teachers’ protests reflect general suffering and may lead to more protests. This is why dozens of teachers are imprisoned and hundreds else fired for supporting the Women, Life, Freedom movement.
By imprisoning trade union activists, the regime thus wanted to prevent other mass movements.

Mohsén Omrani, a member of the board of directors of the Bushehr Teachers’ Association, began serving a six-month prison sentence on November 11, 2024. A teacher who became a street vendor out of economic necessity, he suffered various repressions after the Jina uprising, such as dismissals, imprisonment and fines.

A defender of children’s and women’s rights, Mohsén Omrani supports of mother-tongue teachings at schools as a fundamental right. Before his incarceration, he had advocated for mass memberships in professional associations, believing that unity is essential to achieving their goals.

Our trade unions denounce the harassment of trade unionists in Iran and campaign
for the Iranian government to respect fundamental freedoms, including trade union
rights.

In the face of the excesses of this regime, international solidarity is more essential
than ever.
Immediate release of trade unionists and prisoners of conscience in Iran!

Confédération française démocratique du travail (CFDT)
Confédération générale du travail (CGT)
Fédération syndicale unitaire (FSU)
Union syndicale Solidaires
Union nationale des syndicats autonomes (UNSA)

Paris, January 13, 2025