EI is relieved to learn that the death sentence imposed on Iranian teacher Abdolreza Ghanbari has been reduced to 15 years’ detention and exile by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
EI had been campaigning consistently for the release of Abdolreza Ghanbari, a 45-year-old lecturer at Payam e Nour University. He was arrested in January 2010 and charged with ‘Moharebeh’ (enmity towards God) for allegedly receiving unsolicited emails from an armed opposition group, to which he does not belong.
Forced to confess While in detention at the Evin Prison, Professor Ghanbari was interrogated for 25 days in a row and forced to confess to unproven charges. Ghanbari was unfairly tried and sentenced to capital punishment by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
The sentence was upheld on appeal and his request for pardon had been rejected in February 2012 by the Commission of Justice.
However, recently, the news was confirmed that his case had been referred to the Revolutionary Court of Iran, Branch 1, for a further review.
In June 2013, the Revolutionary Court sentenced Ghanbari to 15 years’ jail and exile in Borazjaan, in the South of Iran, thereby commuting the death sentence. EI has confirmed this information with Ghanbari’s wife.
Online campaign In March 2012, EI and its member organisation in Iran, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA), had launched an online campaign in partnership with LabourStart, urging the Iranian authorities to stay the execution and revoke the death sentence of Abdolreza Ghanbari.
The LabourStart campaign collected over 17,000 signatures and EI thanks all the individuals – teachers, trade unionists and others – who responded to the appeal.
While welcoming the commutation of Ghanbari’s death sentence, EI regrets that the Iranian teacher remains in detention.
There are still many teachers in jail or on bail on provisional politically motivated charges. EI will continue to request the Iranian authorities to cease putting state pressure on trade unions and to release all detained union activists.
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