The detained Kurdish labour activist Osman Esmaeili was transferred to a security detention centre in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, on 21 October, after Branch 2 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Saqqez held a hearing for the explanation of the charges against him.
During the hearing, he was questioned for attending the funeral of his friend’s mother, his family said.
On 20 October, security forces arrested Esmaeili in front of his house in Saqqez, Kurdistan province.
Esmaeili is a well-known labour activist who has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by security forces for defending workers’ rights.
In the latest case, he was arrested in May, along with another prominent Kurdish labour activist, Mahmoud Salehi, after being summoned to the Saqqez court.
In late May, Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Saqqez sentenced Salehi and Esmaeili to three and six months in prison, respectively.
It charged them with “propaganda against the state” over holding International Workers’ Day celebrations.
The sentences were then, according to Article 38 of the Iranian Islamic Penal Code, commuted to payments of the fines of two million Iranian Tomans – nearly 80 USD – for Salehi and four million Tomans – nearly 160 USD – for Esmaeili.
The two labour activists were finally released from Saqqez Prison after 25 days.
