Spring of freedom

Iranian labor activist Esmail Bakhshi is under pressure by Iran’s security system to take back his statement on being tortured “to the brink of death” while in prison. Various sources, including the lawyer of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane workers’ representative, have confirmed that Bakhshi and his family are under pressure. “After the  torture  was brought up, pressure against Esmail Bakhshi intensified and there is evidence that suggests that my client is under pressure and that there is a psychological environment against him to deny the torture,” his lawyer Farzaneh Zilani said today in an interview with an Iranian website. A Telegram channel that belongs to the workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane factory in southern Iran also confirmed the pressure on the Iranian labor activist to deny the torture. “After Esmail Bakhshi published a letter detailing the torture he was subjected to in which he cited that Ms. Qelian was also beaten, from a few days ago, Esmail Bakhsh...

Labor activist Esmail Bakhshi challenged Iran’s Minister of Intelligence to a live televised debate over the use of physical and psychological torture in prison. Related Posts Fourth public flogging sentence carried out in one month in southeast Iran  JANUARY 7, 2019 Jailed Iranian workers denied lawyers as families protest arrests  JANUARY 6, 2019 Iran arbitrarily killed and wounded 300 in 2018 – report  JANUARY 4, 2019   The outspoken Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Factory labor representative was detained on November 18 on the 14th day of the sugarcane workers’ strike and was released on bail on December 12. Esmail Bakhshi is known for his passionate speeches during the workers’ weeks long  strike  action. He addressed Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alavi, in his Instagram post which included a picture of himself, demanding to know why he was tortured “to the verge of death”.    ...