According to reports, the workers’ self-immolations were caused by dismissal, layoffs, unresolved employment contracts, unmet demands, and an inability to support themselves. Under the mullahs’ rule, the exploitation of workers worsens every hour. On April 14, 2020, two years prior, the state-run newspaper Resalat stated: “By examining 20 companies, we found that these companies had a net profit of one quadrillion in one year.” One could only imagine how the owners of these corporations none other than the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other powerful mullahs have ruined the lives of hundreds of workers.

 

 

The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Crescent Petroleum are involved in a gas contract dispute. Negotiations began in 1997 and ended in 2001 with an ambiguous joint agreement. They agreed that for the next 25 years, the regime will transport Iranian gas from the Salman oil and gas field, which it shares with the UAE. Many of the regime’s media outlets have reported on a large amount of bribery in this case over the last few years, claiming that the Iranian people are suffering losses due to the extremely low price of the sold gas.

 

The weekly trend of protests in Iran is continuing, with a variety of protests taking place across the country on Tuesday by various communities demanding their rights, wages, and access to water, as well as directing their anger at the Iranian government.

 

Workers throughout the oil and petrochemical industries went on strike just days after Iran’s rigged presidential election. More workers joined the nationwide strike after their protest demonstrations spread across the country.

The factory workers and other employees at the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company in Shush have protested for almost 50 days against the privatization of the company and delays in payment of their wages.

Earlier this month, Nabzebourse – a website run by the Iranian state, predicted that the shares of Shasta, the Social Security Investment Company – would be listed on the Tehran Stock exchange two days later.

Protests of the workers as well as other sectors of the society in Iran raised dramatically in the recent one and a half years. The protests have always been supported by the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/ MEK).

Figures released by the MEK on the protest actions from 21 June to 21 July show a comparative increase compared to the first three months of the year, based on the Iranian calendar. During this period of time, there have been at least 267 protests in seventy- eight cities, villages, and industrial- commercial districts in Iran.

MEK- #Iran: Uprising, What Mullahs Fear the Most https://t.co/sGboJZxeNj#MEK #FreeIran @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) October 16, 2019

The MEK’s report shows that on average, there have been 9 protests by workers, educators including teachers, pensioners, people affected by recent floods, and … per day in Iran. This MEK report also indicates that there have been one hundred and thirty protests by workers in forty-one cities due to unpaid salaries, lack of official employing, lack of insurance, the firing of workers, and low payment.

MEK’s social network covered the news of protests of workers, farmers, teachers, pensioners, and nurses in Iran. The MEK social network tries to be the voice of voiceless in Iran. The MEK supporters abroad also tirelessly echoed the voice of the suppressed people of Iran in the past four decades.

The MEK has always been a source of inspiration amongst Iranian people particularly the youth and the women.

The Secretary of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on 20 October 2019 stated:

“On Sunday, October 20, 2019, workers at Azarab factory in the city of Arak (central Iran) continued their demonstrations for the 12th day running despite repeated threats and suppressive measures by the regime. Protesting about the lack of response to their just demands, the enraged workers blocked the Tehran-Ahvaz railway. The suppressive forces attacked the protesting workers, fired teargas to disperse them and arrested a number of the workers.”

The NCRI added:

“Since the start of the new round of protests by Azarab workers a number of them have been summoned and threatened by the intelligence and security agencies.”

The President-elect of the NCRI hailed the courageous and resilient workers of Azarab and urged the people of Arak, especially the defiant youths, to rise in support of the protesting workers.

Incompetence, corruption & mismanagement are more reasons why people in #Iran are continuing their anti-regime protests.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/e1CUUOUz5Z

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 14, 2019

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi urged the International Labor Organization, labor syndicates, and unions as well as all advocates of workers’ rights to condemn the anti-labor policies of the mullahs’ regime and support the rights of Iranian workers.

Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In objection to the poor living condition in prison, two political prisoners, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz and Mohammad Riazat, went on a hunger strike.

The Campaign in Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners reported that due to the lack of facilities and warm water in the central prison of Karaj the two political prisoners went on a hunger strike since October 17, 2019; they were relocated to solitary confinement a day later.

Following the widespread protests in last August in Iran, Mohammad Riazat was arrested and then temporarily released on bail. Mehdi Zeinali, the criminal revolutionary court’s judge, sentenced Mrs. Riazat to three years in jail on charges of “insulting the Founder and Supreme Leader” and “propaganda against the regime” Mrs. Riazat was transferred to Karaj’s Central Penitentiary on December 10, 2019.

Mehdi Farahi Shandiz was charged by criminal Judge Moqisi, on “insulting the Leader” and “disturbing public order” and was sentenced to three years behind bars. This political prisoner, in two other separate cases, in 2011 and 2014, had been sentenced to nine years in prison on the same charges.

Prior to this, in an open letter on July 15, 2019, due to unacceptable prison conditions and misconducted behavior of prison officials, six other political prisoners had gone on a hunger strike.

The heroic resistance of the Mujahedin-e Khalq’s (PMOI/MEK) political prisoners has always been inspiring for the opposition movements of Iran particularly the youths, the teachers, and the workers.

I reiterate the need for the formation of an international delegation to visit and inspect Iranian prisons and conditions of political prisoners in #Iran.https://t.co/wYM9zxg4eo pic.twitter.com/UX1vpZIqvh

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) June 14, 2019

According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the MEK sources, during the period of June 22 to July 22, 2019, there had been 24 hunger strikes by political prisoners in Iran.

The designation of Ebrahim Raisi, the key figure in the1988 massacre in which 30,000 political prisoners, mainly the MEK members and supporters, were slaughtered in just a few months, as Chief Justice, and that of three top terrorists from the IRGC, Salami, Fadavi, and Hanqdi, by Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the religious dictatorship ruling Iran, clearly shows that there is no mercy in this barbarian regime. These designations indicate also the high capacity of the Iranian society for revolt, samples of which can be seen in the streets, factories, schools, prisons and… The MEK resistance units are mobilizing these unrests throughout the country on a daily basis.

The brave uprisings in Iran are inspired by the historical MEK resistance against two dictatorial regimes, those of the Shah and the mullahs, and have always been supported by the MEK.

Torching the regime’s symbols and posters of the regime’s Supreme Leader, by the MEK resistance units across the country urges the youth and the women to stand up against the regime.

Mullahs in #Iran hopelessly try to prevent a popular uprising and thwart the expansion of resistance units by using internal suppression and external sponsorship of #terrorism https://t.co/sHwxd0FbHk#MEK @USAdarFarsi pic.twitter.com/nHTsy5xLNu

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) October 17, 2019

The resistance of political prisoners, particularly MEK supporters as well as other sectors of the Iranian society clearly indicates the embers beneath the ashes in the tumultuous Iranian society. They want regime change and establishing democracy and freedom by the true and reliable alternative, the NCRI and its elected President, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.

Staff Writer.

 

Last week, Iran witnessed a wave of protests across the country. Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) recorded more than sixty protests and gatherings by workers, teachers, pensioners, people who lost money to credit firms affiliated with the IRGC, farmers, and college students. Even in prisons, political prisoners protested against the inhuman restrictions imposed by suppressive guards.

Workers in Azarab factory, the central city of Arak, demanded their unpaid salaries.

Embers beneath the ashes

Difficult living conditions for the people along with unprecedented corruption and embezzlement, turned the Iranian society to embers beneath the ashes, so that, every single protest or gathering can be turned into social unrest as it happened in Lordegan last week. The majority of the Iranian population’s living under the poverty line is the source of the crises.

…In the most recent labor unrest in #Iran’s industrial heartland, #Arak, in central Iran, Azarab Company #workers protest for the familiar demands; unpaid wages and the return of the company to the public sector. read more.https://t.co/JwhmiEfOXL#MEK @threadreaderapp#Unroll pic.twitter.com/7fRKjzHHgS

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) October 11, 2019

Panic spreads to the Iranian regime

After the recent uprisings in Lordegan, Arak, Shush, and Isfahan, the mullahs are afraid of more protests and uprisings, particularly in major cities. They know that every public protest in metropolitan cities can easily spread throughout the country as it happened in December 2018 and January 2019 when 140 cities rose up against the regime.

This panic can be seen in the remarks of Major General Bagheri, General Staff of Armed Forces of the Iranian regime when he said: ” The security of Tehran is constant and stable! It is heartwarming security for the people!” It seems that the uprising in Lordegan as well as other cities across the country, has forced the top security and military officials of the regime to concentrate on the “security of the capital!”

Due to this panic, all security and military forces of the Iranian regime have been on high alert since one month ago in the capital, Tehran, to control and suppress any unpredicted uprising.

Imposing military fury on the society, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the main surviving tool for the mullahs. Pointing to the key role of IRGC, Khomeini, the founder of this despotic regime once said: “if there was not the IRGC, there wouldn’t be the country (regime)”

The IRGC has always been ready to suppress any uprising inside Iran for decades.

The policy of appeasement, for four decades, and delay in listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, helped to expand terrorism in the region and the globe. It cannot be forgotten when Mohsen Rafighdoost, the former Minister of the IRGC, referring to the blast of the US NAVY’s base in Lebanon in 1983 said: ” both the ideology and the explosive (of the blast) had gone from Iran.”

Do Economic Aids Save the #Iranian Regime?
Leashing the mullahs, Europe and the US granted many concessions to the Iranian regime in the past three decades. This “generosity”, sadly, emboldened this regime to expand its terrorism and violation …#MEK https://t.co/n2LS0yEaUU

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) September 15, 2019

It is time to put an end to the destructive policy of appeasement and to recognize the main Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (which includes MEK) as the legitimate and reliable alternative to this terrorist regime. Too much time has already been lost.

Staff Writer

Confronting the unrest in Iran, Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of religious fascism finds no solution but accelerating internal suppression and external terrorism. Adopting Ebrahim Raissi, the key figure in the 1988 prison massacre, in which 30,000 Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) members and supporters were executed in just a few months, as the head of the Judiciary shows he has no other option to control the explosive situation in Iran but appointing henchmen as high-ranking officials.

However, the growing protests during recent months in Iran led by the MEK indicate repression does not work for mullahs as it did before. The protests in Iran prove that the rulers cannot dictate their demands and people do not accept this miserable situation any longer. Expanding the popular movements and protests, and also the growing war between different factions inside the regime, both reflect the reality of Iranian society.

This leads the society to stand up and protest against poverty and repression. Recent uprising of people in the Southwest city of Lordegan is just an example.

Saturday, October 5, 2019, thousands of residents in Lordegan demonstrated against the mullahs’ regime in support of the residents of Chenar Mahmoudi village in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province. Angry youths set ablaze the office of the representative of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Lordegan Governor’s Office as well as several other regime’s centers.

The demonstration began outside the Governor’s Office and spread to the Health Department’s local office. The security forces attacked the protesters at both locations. The protesters defended themselves by throwing rocks. The suppressive forces fired live rounds and tear gas into the crowd to disperse them, wounding a number of demonstrators.

Despite the unprecedented suppression, the angry workers in two industrial facilities, Hepco and Arak Azarab, are still continuing their protests against the regime.

Hail to the brave workers of Azarab, Arak, who did not succumb to the clerical regime’s threats &intimidations, continuing their protest today. The regime again responded by tear gas, arrests, &beatings. Such oppression will be foiled by the courageous workers’ will power. #Iran pic.twitter.com/yzKXAy9TP0

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 7, 2019

Everything indicates circumstances are changing in Iran with freedom and prosperity on the horizon.

Pointing to the protests of people in Lordegan, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said:

“With their chants of death to the dictator and attacking the office of the representative of the Iranian Regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, they targeted the clerical establishment as the main cause of all the atrocities perpetrated against the Iranian people,”

On the current situation she emphasized:

“This corrupt and criminal regime has squandered Iran’s national wealth by pursuing nuclear and missile projects and engaging in foreign warmongering, which has destroyed all aspects of life for the people of Iran, including health and well-being.”

After four decades of suppression, the MEK resistance units are active more than ever, pushing the mullahs towards a deadly cliff. Victory is within reach. It is time for the international community to recognize the Iranian Resistance, the NCRI and the MEK.

Staff Writer