We have received news from Iran that the authorities have quashed the prison sentences and dropped all charges against the seven Saghez activists. Although initially the Iranian regime had a long list of charges levelled against Mohammad Abdipoor, Borhand Divargar, Mohsen Hakimi, Jalal Hosseini, Esmail Khodkam, Mahmoud Salehi and Hadi Tanoomand, their only real 'crime' was to try to organise a May Day rally in Saghez (in Iranian Kurdistan).
The arrests on May Day 2004 were the start of two years of sustained pressure by the regime on these activists and their families. But all the intimidation and threats met with the activists' resistance, the support of the Kurdish masses and sections of the resurgent Iranian labour movement, and last, but not least, the broad and consistent international solidarity of trade unionists and socialists across three continents. Given such a united force a rotten and crumbling regime could only back down and admit defeat.
We thank all the trade unionists, labour activists, socialists and youth who helped in bringing about this great victory. We would like to thank particularly all the members and supporters of the Committee for a Marxist International who picketed the Iranian embassies in many countries on 20 September 2004 and provided us all with a great lesson and experience for future struggles.
Long live international workers' solidarity.
Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network
8 May 2006