The protests of the families of the seven workers of the Ahwaz Steel Company who were arrested for the strike

For the fifth day in a row, Children and families of seven workers of the Ahwaz Steel Company have continued their protest rally to demand the release of their parents and sons who have been detained for more than two weeks due to their participation in the demonstrations of the company workers who have been roaming the city for more than a month.
The seven detained workers are as the following:
1-Tariq Khalafy
2- Ghareeb Howaizawi
3- Karim Sayahi
4- Mustafy Abayat
5. Behzad Arikhani
6. Kazem Heidari
7. Maytham Ali Qanwati
In front of the governorate building, the families chanted "Death to the oppressors" denouncing the continued detention of innocent workers and depriving their families and children of meeting them.
More than two weeks ago, the Iranian security forces launched raids on the homes of protestors and arrested more than 41 of them. Most of the workers have been released. However, some of the detainees are still being held at an unknown location while the security services refrain from disclosing the charges against them.
The workers continued their protests, which began last November and lasted for more than six weeks. They chanted slogans such as "We stand and die, we do not accept humiliation," "No threat, no prison no longer frightens us" and "Get out of Syria and think about us."
The steel industry in Ahwaz has an annual production capacity of one million and 435 thousand tons of steel products and 430 thousand tons of steel alloys and employs 4,000 people of the specialized workforce. Workers say factories are facing bankruptcy and stagnation due to rampant corruption, favouritism and looting which is also committed by officials.
Ahwaz Human Rights Organization condemns the continued detention of these workers by the security forces while condemning the crackdown on labour protests and peaceful strikes and demands the immediate release of the detained workers. In addition, paying the salaries and entitlements of the workers.
Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation
30 December 2018