At Least Sixty National Steel Group Workers were Arrested in Ahvaz

On (June 12, 2018), at least 60 National Industrial Steel Group workers were arrested in Ahvaz. For past few days, the workers organized a rally in protest of lack of raw materials and the delay in their quarterly wage pay.

Ghulamreza Shariati, Governor of Khuzestan, told Iran’s news agency, “The governor is following the situation of detained workers from last night.” He continued saying: “The reason for these workers rally is the lack of raw materials and unpaid wages. ” The presence of special police forces in today’s rally was high and the Khuzestan Governor’s building surrounding streets were under security control. Ahwaz Steel National Group is facing bankruptcy due to mismanagement and the workers of this institute are struggling with many problems. In recent months, the Ahwaz National Steel Group workers have repeatedly gathered in front of the Khuzestan Governor’s building in protest of non-payment of their demands. On March 17^th, 2018, during the workers’ protest in one of the Kianpars’s street in Ahwaz, a protest worker was run over by a vehicle and injured. “

Ahwaz Steel National Industrial Group was one of the companies belonging to the Amir Mansour Arya Investment Group, which was handed over to the Judiciary after the embezzlement of 3,000 billion.

• The Free Trade Union Telegraph Channel has listed the names of thirty-two detained workers as follows:

1- Hossain Javid Hamodi

2- Biman Shajarati

3- Mohamad Naghizadeh

4- Ali Jamaati

5- Rahman Samak

6- Karim Siahi

7- Ali Aghieh

8- Ali Taheri

9- Mostafa Zarghani

10- behzad Alikhani

11- Saed Alimoradi

12- Amir Shabani

13- Sidrzagh Mosavi

14- Hadi Vanli

15- Farzad Gharachi

16- Younes Amiri

17- Saed Alimoradi

18- Nur AliKhan Mohamad

19- Amir Harizavi

20- Ahmad Afravi

21- Hossain Afri

22, Ebrahim Farsi

23, Mohamad Alavi

24- Saed Javad Mosavi

25- Alireza Mojarab

26- Javad Eskandari

27- Ali Daghagheleh

28- Ebrahim Bromand Nia

29- Ali Hazbni

30-Fiazal Sari

31- Shahin Babaahmadi

32- Kazem Haidari

The arrested workers were transferred to the Ahvaz Drug Offender Center, near the She-Rah Andimashk outside the city of Ahwaz.

According to recent reports, in addition to the today’s street protest, steel workers protested in widespread of their colleagues’ detention, and from this morning, a number of workers, along with the families of detained workers gathered in front of the anti-narcotics police station.

It should be noted that on March 1st, 2018, security forces with a list of protest workers from the Ahwaz National Steel Group, overnight, came to the houses and arrested a large number of protest workers.

These mass arrests were carried out at the time with the order of the Ahvaz Prosecutor’s Office, and in addition to more than 10 arrests, Ahwaz police forces contacted many of the workers and requested their home addresses.