Sussan Razzani

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that women labour activists, Ms Sussan Razani and Ms Shiva Kheirabadi were flogged on 18 February 2009 following the rejection of their appeal against a sentence imposed because of their participation in the May Day celebrations of 1 May 2008. Through last year's May Day celebrations in Sanandaj, Sussan Razani and Shiva Kheirabadi were peacefully demonstrating to defend labour rights in Iran.

Further Information

On 18 February 2009, Sussan Razani and Shiva Kheirabadi reportedly received 70 lashes and 15 lashes respectively when they were flogged in the central prison of Sanandaj, the capital of the Kurdish province of Iran. Branch 101 of the Sanandaj Penal Court had originally ruled that Sussan Razani should be subjected to a nine-month suspended prison sentence and 70 lashes and that Shiva Kheirabadi should be subjected to a four-month suspended prison sentence and 40 lashes for their part in the May Day celebrations. On 15 February 2009, the two women were informed that the appeals court had reduced the number of lashings for Shiva Kheirabadi to 15, but had otherwise upheld the original ruling. Mr Abdullah Khani and Mr Syed Ghalib Husseini, two other labour activists who participated in the May Day celebrations were also sentenced to prison terms and floggings.

In the past, labour activists have also been flogged for participating in May Day celebrations. On 16 February 2008, the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj issued flogging sentences and fines to 11 workers for participating in the May Day celebrations of 2007. Floggings of 10 lashes each were carried out on the day of the sentencing against three activists, Mr Sadeq Amjadi, Mr Fars Gooyilian, and Mr Habibollah Kelenkani.

Front Line believes that the floggings and the suspended sentences of Sussan Razani and Shiva Kheirabadi are directly related to their legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights, in particular their defence of labour rights. Front Line considers this part of an ongoing trend of harassment against labour activists who wish to exercise their right to freedom of association at May Day celebrations. Front Line is particularly concerned given that women human rights defenders have reportedly never been flogged before in Iran and a worrying precedent may now have been set.