EI and its member organisation in Iran, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA), are launching an online campaign in partnership with LabourStart, to take action now through the LabourStart website.

Prof. Ghanbari, a 44-year-old lecturer of Payam e Nour University, was arrested at his home in Pakdasht on 4 January 2010. He was charged with ‘Moharebeh’ (enmity towards God) for receiving unsolicited emails from an armed opposition group, to which he does not belong. While in detention at the notorious Evin Prison, Prof. Ghanbari has been interrogated for 25 days in a row and forced to confess under duress to unproven charges. Nasrin Sotoudeh was his lawyer until he was himself condemned to a six year sentence in Evin prison for “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security”.

Prof. Ghanbari’s death sentence has been confirmed by Tehran's Appeal Court in April 2010. He has since been waiting on death row. The Commission of Justice in Tehran rejected a request for pardon on 28 February. This means authorities are allowed to proceed with the execution.

EI and the International Trade Union Confederation have requested a direct intervention of the Director General of the International Labour Organisation to request that Iran annul the death penalties for trade unionists.

EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, stated: “EI is extremely worried about Prof. Ghanbari’s situation. Education trade unionists worldwide will not remain inactive as Iranian authorities try to silence opposition voices, primarily trade unionists’ ones. We urge Iranian authorities to stay his execution, and give him a fair trial, respecting international acknowledged rules of due process of law.”

In addition to signing in the largest possible numbers the EI appeal on LabourStart, organisations and individuals are invited to share information about these attacks on teacher unions with their own country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking them to follow up their demands with the Iranian authorities. The major demands are:

·         Stay the execution of Prof. Abdolreza Ghanbari and revoke the death sentence;

·         Drop all charges against all detained trade unionists and release them immediately;

·         Compensate the individuals for the damages suffered as result of detentions;

·         Register the CCITTA and allow it to hold trade union activities and reach out to members;

·         Stop the harassment and repression against teachers, unionists and human rights defenders;

·         Comply with the international labour standards and respect the rights of Iranian workers to freedom of association, assembly and expression; and

·         Engage in a peaceful dialogue regarding the professional concerns of teachers in Iran.