<\/p>\n
On 9th<\/sup> December 2018, sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly to protest the failure of the new general director of the corporation, Mr Kazemi, to fulfil his promise to free Esmaeil Bakhshi by 8th<\/sup> December.<\/p>\n Mr Kazemi and the head of the provincial judiciary had released a statement in which they announced that Esmaeil Bakhshi would be released on 7th<\/sup> December. When he wasn\u2019t released as promised, a group of workers and the family of Esmaeil Bakhshi went to Ahvaz and gathered in front of the prison.<\/p>\n The prison guards took no responsibility and passed them on to other authorities in the judiciary where the workers and the family were told that Esmaeil Bakhshi would not be released and that his case had been referred to the revolutionary court.<\/p>\n After the disappointing day the workers called for a gathering and protest in their workplace to demand the release of Esmaeil Bakhshi, Sepideh Gholiyan, Ali Nejati and Asal Mohamadi (another student who was arrested for reporting the strike).<\/p>\n The workers have condemned accusations such as \u201cgathering and conspiracy against national security\u201d against workers.<\/p>\n Farzaneh Zilabi, solicitor of the arrested workers, said that Esmaeil Bakhshi has been accused of forming a group to interfere with national security.<\/p>\n The sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh have received support and messages of solidarity from different corners of Iran and internationally. On \u201cstudent day\u201d in Iran, 7 December 2018, students from different universities expressed their support for the workers in their protests and statements.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #WPIranNews #FightForLife #SugarCaneWorkers #ImprisonedWorker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"