Last week, Iran Human Rights Monitor released its monthly report, detailing the Iranian regime’s human rights violations. During the month of August, the regime imposed heavy sentences on participants in the country’s Labor Day protest, striking workers from the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Factory, and civil rights activists. Last month, more than 31 activists, workers, and journalists were sentenced to prison and lashes for their participation in protests.

Touching report on the situation of #HumanRights in #Iran.
A very professional accurate report by @IranHRM: Iran Human Rights Monitor Monthly Report for August 2019 https://t.co/HCJTd4rucE#FreeIran #NoImpunity4Mullahs #BlacklistRouhani @USAdarFarsi @JavaidRehman @mbachelet

— Ka Veh (@kaveh20092009) September 7, 2019

Labor Day Protesters

Researcher Atefeh Rangiz was sentenced to 11 years, six months in prison and 74 lashes.

Journalist Marzieh Amiri was sentenced to 10 years, six months of prison and 148 lashes. She will serve six years of her term.

Nasrin Javadi was sentenced to 7 years in prison and 74 lashes.

A bus driver and member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company Rasoul Taleb Moghadam was sentenced to 74 lashes, two years of prison, two years of exile, and a two-year ban on using smartphones.

Vice-president of the Free Union of Iranian Workers Parvin Mohammadi was sentenced to one year in prison

Labor Activist Azarm Khezri (Nasrin Javadi), was sentenced to seven years of prison and 74 lashes. She will serve five years of her term.

Labor activist Farhad Sheikhi was sentenced to four months of prison and 5 lashes. His sentence was suspended for two years.

Haft Tappeh Protesters

On August 13, seven Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Factory workers were given eight-month suspended prison sentences and 30 lashes each for participating in last year’s workers’ strikes.

On August 14, nine more workers from the same factory were sentenced to eight months in prison and 30 lashes. Another worker was acquitted.

The MEK covered the Haft Tappeh worker strikes last year extensively.

Other Activists

Mohammad Taghi Falahi, head of the Tehran Teachers’ Association, was sentenced to eight months in prison and ten lashes for participating in a protest on Iran’s National Teachers’ Day. His sentence has been suspended for three years.

Women’s rights activist Saba Kord Afshari was sentenced to 24 years in prison for protesting the mandatory veiling laws and refusing to make a false confession.

Satirist Keyomars Marzban was sentenced to 23.3 years in prison for working for foreign media outlets.

Executions

At least 41 people were executed by the regime in August. Two of these executions took place in public. The actual number of executions is likely much higher, as the regime is known for carrying out its executions in secret.

July saw 41 executions across #Iran Only 17 such cases have been reported by the regime’s official news agencies. 2 of those were public hangings. 2 public floggings were carried out and more than 62 individuals were sentenced to lashes. @AmnestyIran @UNHumanRights @WebDPN pic.twitter.com/GpfQBTLMVk

— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) August 6, 2018

Denial of Medical Treatment to Prisoners

Political prisoner Majid Assadi has been denied treatment for his Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and has not been provided access to a physician for the last year. In September 2018, doctors additionally diagnosed Assadi with ulcers and intestinal inflammation, but he is not receiving medical care for any of his conditions.

Political prisoner Arash Sadeghi is being denied critical care for cancer. He received surgery in September 2018 to remove cancer but developed a postoperative infection after being immediately returned to prison. Without proper care, his arm has become paralyzed and swollen. Prison officials have refused to allow Sadeghi to return to the hospital to seek further bone marrow tests to see if his cancer has spread or to have additional, life-saving chemotherapy treatments. Amnesty International condemned the regime’s treatment of Sadeghi as torture.

I specifically urge the new UK government to support human rights, namely the suppressed human rights of the people of #Iran. I urge them to send an int’l fact-finding mission to Iran to visit the regime’s prisons and the political prisoners particularly, the women. #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/A1aMmRCom9

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 27, 2019

The NCRI and MEK condemn the regime’s human rights abuses and encourages all Iranians to support those who are protesting against the regime. The regime’s abuses will end when Iran is free.

Staff Writer

 

Iran’s truck drivers embarked on their fifth round of strikes on Saturday, December 22nd in protest of the regime’s refusal to fulfill promises made to the truckers during earlier strikes, based on reports from the MEK sources inside Iran. This round of nationwide strikes differs from the first four strikes in that its organizers have pre-planned it to last for ten days. Having learned from the previous strikes, the truckers are now using their experience to organize in order to more effectively achieve their demands.

The latest round of strikes began after most of the country’s truckers stopped working in protest, effectively going on strike.

Iranian truckers have launched a series of strikes this year in protests of low wages, the high price of spare parts (particularly replacement tires), corruption and unfair policies by government officials and institutions, and a lack of responsiveness by the regime to the truck drivers’ demands. The following is a summary of the 2018 Iranian truck drivers’ strikes:

May 2018: First Round of Strikes

The first round of truck drivers’ strikes was launched on May 22nd, 2018 and quickly spread to hundreds of cities across Iran. The nationwide strikes went on until June 8th, when regime authorities agreed to make a number of concessions to the drivers in order to end the strike. These promises would go unfulfilled.

MEK Network: The Truck Driver Protest Movement Swells as it Enters its Fourth Day

The strike did not receive a great deal of attention because of competing news events occurring at the same time. The World Cup, in particular, diverted coverage from the protests. Although the strikes yielded few tangible results in the short term, they set the stage for subsequent strikes, which would prove to be more productive.

July 2018: Second Round of Strikes

On July 23rd, 2018, Iran’s truck drivers began another round of strikes, which spread to 300 cities and went on until August 11th.

Iran’s Lorry Drivers Resume Their Strike

Protests broke out in Isfahan’s Shapur City in solidarity with the striking drivers. Other anti-regime protests began and spread quickly to a number of cities in Iran, with the largest concentration of protest activity taking place in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, and Rasht.

The truck drivers’ strikes were the catalyst for the nationwide protests that took place in late July and early August. These protests brought Iranians from all sectors of society into the streets to demand their rights. The MEK’s resistance units became more organized in its efforts, which enabled protests to grow and spread more quickly. The protests also struck fear into the hearts of the mullahs, who realized that their efforts at brutal suppression were no longer effective.

MEK Network: Protesters Battle Suppressive Forces in Isfahan and Karaj for Second Day

The mood in Iran changed after the second truckers’ strike and subsequent protests. The truck drivers inspired other workers to strike for their rights. Their coordination and ability to organize and stand in solidarity with each other laid the groundwork for other workers to launch their own strikes. The stage was now set for the strikes by the Haft Tapeh sugarcane factory workers in Shush and the Iran National Steel Industrial Group workers in Ahvaz.

September 2018: Third Round of Strikes

Iran’s truck drivers embarked on their third round of strikes on September 23, 2018. The strike spread to more than 200 cities by its fifth day and received international support from labor unions, including the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the Teamsters, among others. The workers continued their strike for 21 days, despite the arrests of more than 200 striking drivers. 17 of the arrested drivers were threatened with execution. International human rights groups, as well as labor organizations, condemned the regime’s treatment of the truck drivers and called for their release. The MEK and the Iranian Resistance condemned the Iranian regime for its threats of execution, and Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Resistance, called upon the United Nations to take action to secure the release of the arrested truck drivers.

New Round of Protests on Horizon as Truck Drivers’ Strike Enters Fourth Day

The strikes drew attention to the Iranian regime’s brutal labor practices. Instead of intimidating the people, Iranians became more determined to overthrow the regime.

November 2018: Fourth Round of Strikes

The fourth round of strikes began on November 1st, 2018 and spread to dozens of cities in Iran. The truckers launched this round of strikes in order to secure the release of their colleagues who were arrested in the third round of strikes.

Iranian Truckers Launch Fourth Round of Strikes This Year

December 2018: Fifth Round of Strikes

The fifth round of strikes was launched on December 22nd and is set to last for a total of ten days. The truckers have gained valuable experience from the past four strikes, and they have also learned from the nationwide protests and strikes that have swept Iran over the past year. They have heard the regime’s false promises and will not be deceived again.

#IranProtests Dec 25 Neyshabur- Yazd

Loading station where all drivers are on strike as drivers are on the 5th day of a nationwide strike demanding higher wages.
According to eyewitness reports, most of loading stations in Isfahan were empty in numerous cities. pic.twitter.com/jtyMuFFYq7

— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) December 25, 2018

The people of Iran are more organized and determined to reach their goals, and the regime’s efforts to suppress dissent and refusal to listen to their demands have only increased that determination.

Staff Writer

Tehran’s merchants are striking, as are the Iranian farmers and truck drivers as yet more protests threaten to engulf the country, based on reports from the MEK network inside Iran.

On Monday, November 5th, merchants in several Iranian cities closed their stalls in local bazaars. The strikes, which coincided with the reintroduction of strict US sanctions, were organized across social media and quickly gained traction.

A recent report on latest protests & strikes across #Iran.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/Oxaqc9dH9k

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 7, 2018

Skyrocketing prices and crippling inflation have thrown many of Iran’s merchants into poverty. With new sanctions affecting Iranian imports and exports, the situation is set to worsen.

November 6
Mashhad, northeast #Iran
Most stores are closed in the city's Sarshour bazaar as strikes spread across the country.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/CCx22RZoeS

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

For the nation’s truck drivers, the working conditions are not much better. The sector shut down for the fourth time on the 31st of October and is yet to restart. Drivers from Tehran, Isfahan, Hormozgan, Zanjan, Golestan, Kermanshah, Kerman, West Azerbaijan, Central, Khorasan Razavi, and Yazd all turned off their engines in protest at the rising cost of spare parts, corruption, and appalling working conditions that have left many of them in a fight for their survival.

For Iran’s farmers, there is a similar picture of abstract poverty and a struggle to put food on the table. This has prompted many brave farmers from provinces across the country, including Isfahan a Khorasgan, to stage a sit-in and protest.

Unparalleled Bravery

The strikers are demonstrating their bravery and determination by maintaining these protests against the bloody and violent regime.

For the truck drivers, many of their colleagues and friends were arrested in the previous rounds of strikes. More than 200 drivers were detained in the third round of strikes that took place earlier this year. The regime then threatened to execute 17 of those detained.

The strikers that took to the streets in this latest round of protests are also demanding the immediate release of their colleagues.

The regime’s treatment of the truck drivers has not been atypical. The mullahs frequently employ repressive and heavy-handed strategies for dealing with public protest and political dissent.

The farmers and merchants, along with the valiant truck drivers, are aware of the danger they are in, yet they continue to risk their liberty and their lives to protest the regime and its policies.

A Call for Support

Their determination has not gone unnoticed by the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) and the President-elect of the Iranian resistance, Maryam Rajavi.

Nationwide uprisings against the mullahs’ regime are expanding. Hail to the merchants and shop owners of Bazaar, the truckers, the teachers, and freedom-loving students and youth who have shaken the pillars of mullahs’ oppressive rule with their protests and strikes.#Iran

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) November 6, 2018

Ms. Rajavi saluted the striking truck drivers, farmers, and merchants in a statement to the Iranian people. She called on Iran’s youth to stand with these brave men and women and said that supporting the full restitution of the rights of the Iranian people was a matter of patriotic duty.

Maryam Rajavi also called on the international community to lend their support. She urged syndicates, trade unions, and human rights organizations to lend assistance to Iran’s farmers, truck drivers and merchants in whatever capacity they could.

Staff Writer

Bazaar merchants in Iran went on strike on Monday in several cities. The strikes were timed to take place on the day that the final phase of U.S. sanctions took effect.

The planned strike took place after a call to action on social media. The bazaar merchants went on strike to protest skyrocketing prices and inflation.

The MEK network posted images on social media of closed shops in Tabriz in northwest Iran and Mashhad in northeast Iran. A video posted by the MEK shows that striking merchants have closed shops in Tehran’s rug market despite threats from authorities. Owners of home appliance stores in Tehran were also on strike. In Babol in northern Iran, merchants in the Rezvanshahr market were on strike. In Gorgan in northern Iran, all of the shops were closed in the Aftab Mall, which is the largest mall in the city. Merchants in Tabriz in northeastern Iran also closed their shops and went on strike.

November 6
Tabriz, northwest #Iran
Store-owners are on strike & joining the nationwide movement.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/SniuO38M3v

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

November 6
Mashhad, northeast #Iran
Most stores are closed in the city's Sarshour bazaar as strikes spread across the country.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/CCx22RZoeS

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

November 6 – Tehran, #Iran
Parts of the rug market on strike despite authorities resorting to threats.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/HwOntKewMK

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

Sources indicate that the strikes had now spread to Roudsar in northern Iran and Saqez and Baneh in western Iran.

The merchants went on strike last on October 8th. That round of strikes spread to over 50 cities in 21 provinces.

Truck Drivers’ Strikes Continue for the Sixth Day

Meanwhile, the fourth round of nationwide truck drivers’ strikes reached its sixth day on Tuesday. The most recent round of strikes began on November 1st after a call went out on social media urging the drivers to park their truck and strike. The truckers are protesting low pay and high prices for spare parts and replacement tires. They are also demanding the release of their colleagues who were arrested during the last round of strikes.

The MEK shared a number of videos of trucks parked in loading terminals as truckers joined the strike and refused to load cargo.

November 6
Tehran, #Iran
7 am local time
Capital beltway
No trucks seen as truckers continue their nationwide strike, demanding the release of their colleagues & protesting skyrocketing prices.#IranianTruckersOnStrike pic.twitter.com/jvileuWXw7

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

November 6
Gorgan, northern #Iran
City beltway
Video shows scenes of the sixth consecutive day Iran's truckers are on a nationwide strike, leaving roads empty of all trucks.#IranianTruckersOnStrike pic.twitter.com/4SLQo3r3sE

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

The state-run ILNA news agency reported on the strike on November 4th, writing: “Lack of truck tires, the emergence of the black market and dealers, and price instability have been some of the problems that the automotive market has faced in recent months.

“Truckers and heavy vehicle drivers are the first to suffer from this issue. All of this has led to the economic downturn and less food on the table for the people and as a result, some truckers have bought government tires and sold them in the free market, which has implications such as the use of worn-out tires and consequently, increased crash rates.”

Despite four rounds of strikes, Iran’s truck drivers have not been able to achieve their goals. During the last round of strikes, regime authorities arrested over 200 striking drivers and threatened to execute 17 of the arrested truckers. The arrests and threats of execution drew international condemnation from labor unions, including the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
and the Teamsters, who both wrote statements supporting the truck drivers and condemning the regime’s actions.

Staff Writer

 

 

In a letter or condemnation, five international trade unions expressed “deep shock” over the recent demand by Qazvin Province’s prosecutor general to execute seventeen truck drivers for their part in the nationwide truckers’ strikes that began in late September. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), Education International, the Industrial Global Union and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) called the possible executions a blatant violation of labor rights and said that it was unacceptable to execute workers for asking for economic rights.

 

The trade unions’ letter asked regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to reverse his accusations against the arrested drivers and to guarantee their safety. They also asked that the Committee on Freedom of associations and the  Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (ILO) to inform the regime of its responsibilities to its workers and to reaffirm their fundamental rights.

The most recent truck drivers’ strike started on September 23rd, 2018 and went on for three weeks, spreading to 310 cities in every province in Iran. This was the third strike by Iran’s beleaguered truck drivers this year. The truck drivers face unsafe conditions, subpar pay, corruption by officials, and exorbitant prices for replacement parts, particularly tires. Truck drivers cite a 600% increase in the price of spare parts.

Striking truck drivers were arrested for “disturbing the transportation and provoking the drivers to strike” in a number of provinces, including Tehran, Fars, Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Western Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Qazvin, Alborz, Hamedan, Charmahal Bakhtiari, Kermanshah, Kerman and Bushehr.

The truck drivers’ strike received international support from labor organizations when it began on September 22nd. Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa pledged support for the striking drivers in a letter, writing: “The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 1.4 million transportation and supply chain workers in the United States and Canada, stands in solidarity with our Iranian brothers and sisters. We urge the government of Iran to listen to the grievances of striking Iranian truck drivers, address their just demands and recognize their internationally recognized rights to assembly, speech, freedom of association and collective bargaining.”

Iran: International Transport Workers’ Federation Issues Statement in Support of Striking Truckers

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) also supported the striking Iranian truck drivers, writing a letter of concern as the regime retaliated against the drivers several days into the strike. In a statement, the ITF wrote: “The ITF is extremely concerned that news emerging from Iran has detailed a large number of driver arrests. Around 150 truck drivers in various provinces have reportedly been detained for participating in the action, with a spokesperson for the judiciary threatening ‘heavy punishment.’” The statement went on to say, “Drivers have been protesting about low and unpaid wages, the high cost of parts (including tires), and rising costs of the context of a deteriorating economic situation nationally.”

ITF statement in solidarity with truck drivers in #Iran
#IranRegimechange #FreeIran2018 #IranProtests#اعتصاب_کامیونداران #اعتصاب_سراسری_کامیونداران #اعتصاب_سراسری https://t.co/YNntnDds2W pic.twitter.com/VSmDmiTlsR

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) May 31, 2018

The MEK has been active in its support of the striking drivers. The MEK’s Resistance Units continue to work with all of the workers of Iran to fight against the regime and it’s corrupt and inhumane policies that have left 75% of the Iranian people in poverty.

The death penalty is a tool for terrorizing the society and a significant instrument for preserving the regime. Both factions benefit from such endless savagery to prolong the regime’s rule.
#NoToExecution #Iran

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 10, 2018

During the strike, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), called upon human rights organizations, labor rights defenders, unions and labor syndicates to support the striking drivers, urging that they take immediate action to call for the release of those drivers who had been detained. “When regime threatens strikers with death, it must be isolated by the international community,” she said.

Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday marked the 18th day of the latest round of strikes by Iran’s truck drivers. The truckers are protesting the high price of replacement tires and spare parts, low pay, rising prices, corruption among officials, and increasing fees.

#Iran's uprising is very much alive in the truck drivers' nationwide strike movement.#IranianTruckersOnStrikehttps://t.co/t4kZtFdEQF

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 10, 2018

On Wednesday, the striking drivers gathered in front of the Governate’s office in Isfahan to protest the price of spare parts. They held signs that read, “We want lower tire and spare parts prices!”

This is the third round of strikes since May by Iran’s hardworking truck drivers. Despite earlier promises by the regime, the truckers’ demands have gone unmet, forcing the drivers to park their trucks once again.

Truck drivers play an essential role in Iran’s infrastructure, but they are not valued by the country’s corrupt regime, leaving half of Iran’s transportation workers living below the poverty line.

A video shared on social media from Fars Province showed factories loading goods onto pickup trucks because there are no trucks to take the deliveries.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, commended the truck drivers and encouraged Iran’s youth to support them in their strike.

Reports from MEK network inside Iran shows that factories are forced to load their goods into pickup trucks as a result of the ongoing strike. A video taken in Doroud, in Lorestan Province, shows parked trucks in loading terminals.

The regime’s judiciary has arrested more than 200 truck drivers since the last round of strikes began. Regime officials have threatened to use the death penalty against those who “disrupt” road regulations, calling the striking truckers “bandits.”

A court in Qazvin followed through on this threat, requesting the death penalty for 17 detained truck drivers.

The truckers’ strike has deeply impacted the lives of the truckers and their families, who were already struggling to survive on their meager salaries. With each strike, the truck drivers go without income for weeks, making their already precarious financial situations even direr. The striking truckers now also face arrest and the possibility of execution by the brutal regime. Nevertheless, the strikes continue because the drivers see no other way to protest conditions that make their jobs unsustainable.

Staff Writer

On Monday morning, merchants in Tehran and dozens of other cities in Iran answered last week’s call to strike and refused to open their shops. Tehran’s merchants announced last week that they were planning a strike in solidarity with Iran’s striking truck drivers. They are also protesting economic issues, including the latest plunge in the value of the rial, the increase in foreign exchange rates, rising prices, and the spread of poverty.

Iran Bazaar merchants join nationwide strike

The strike is taking place despite the regime’s days-long efforts to suppress the protests in advance.

Tehran’ carpet and gold coin markets are closed, as are the shopping centers in western Tehran and the shops on Kargar Avenue. As of 10:30 AM Monday morning in Tehran, merchants in Mashhad, Tabriz, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Zahedan, Orumieh (Urmia), Karaj, Gorgan, Zanjan, Arak, Baneh, Marivan, Saqqez, Paveh, Borazjan, Kazerun, Kenarak, Chabahar, Hirmand, Miandoab, Sardasht, Piranshahr, Iranshahr and Saravan have joined the strike.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council is Resistance of Iran (NCRI), applauded the striking merchants and said that the strike shows that the Iranian people want a change in regime.

#Iran’s assets are either spent on suppression, export of terrorism and external wars instead of economic growth and social welfare, or plundered by the ruling mullahs.#IranProtests #IranRegimeChange #FreeIran2018

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 8, 2018

Mrs. Rajavi said that the strike is part of the nationwide uprising by the people of Iran that has the goal of overthrowing the corrupt regime and restoring democratic rule to the country.

The Iranian regime authorities blame MEK and its resistance units for the popular protests that have been taking place throughout Iran.

Staff Writer

Despite threats to their liberty and lives, the truck drivers of Iran have continued their strike into its third week. The strike has spread rapidly across the country, now engulfing 310 towns and cities across the country, including Tehran, and towns in Fars province, Isfahan, Lorestan, West Azerbaijan, and Hamedan, amongst others, reports by MEK‘s network inside Iran.

Significant numbers of striking drivers have been detained by regime officials. The Fars province Judiciary announced that 35 drivers had been arrested. In Isfahan, the figure was 13. At least a further 168 drivers have been arrested in other parts of the country, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

The drivers are being charged with crimes such as “disrupting the flow of transportation” and “provoking drivers to strike”.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The regime’s Chief Prosecutor, Montazeri, threatened the striking drivers with execution two weeks ago. Mullah Larijani echoed his comments, asserting that those involved would be severely punished.

But still, in a remarkable display of courage, the striking drivers have turned out in force, with far-reaching results. Because around 90% of Iran’s goods are transported via the country’s elaborate network of roads, the truck drivers’ strike has been crippling for the Iranian economy.

Iran’s Truck Driver’s Strike Continues to Cripple Iran

The state-run news agency has used the success of the strike to attack the strikers. Fars News Agency accused the drivers of “causing dissatisfaction in the population”, and of harming the country’s economy.

But it is not the drivers harming the economy, it is the mullahs themselves. The strikers are protesting exorbitant insurance premiums and logistics costs, rampant corruption among regime officials, arbitrary tolls and taxes, and ever decreasing wages. If the mullahs took steps to end this rampant abuse of power, the striking truck drivers would return to work and the Iranian economy could continue to turn over.

The price of spare parts for trucks has increased by more than 600% in recent times. Many truckers cannot afford to replace tires, putting them out of work. Even when they do earn, the plummeting value of the rial means few are able to earn a livable wage.

When the truckers are working, road conditions have deteriorated to the point that many are unsafe and cause further damage to the trucks. Which means more expensive repairs, keeping truck drivers in a perpetual spiral of poverty.

In an attempt to break the strike, the regime made false promises. In footage released from Bandar Abbas Terminal, plainclothes regime agents can be seen disseminating falsehoods in an attempt to get the striking drivers to return to work.

Maryam Rajavi’s Message of Support

The President-elect of the NCRI, Maryam Rajavi, pledged her support for the striking drivers. She urged the general public to stand with them in a gesture of solidarity.

I urge international human rights organizations to immediately take action to secure the release of a large number of truck drivers who have been arrested#IranProtests #IranRegimeChange #FreeIran2018#Iran

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 7, 2018

The leader of Iran’s main opposition also condemned the regime’s repressive and violent response to the strikes. She cited the arrests and violence as a sign of the regime’s vulnerability.

Maryam Rajavi also reminded the public that the mullahs are to blame for Iran’s plunder and economic demise. Their thieving and mismanagement created this situation, not the brave Iranians taking to the streets in protest.

Finally, she urged human rights organizations to pressure the regime to free those arrested. She also implored the international community to reject Hassan Rouhani and his violent and criminal regime from the international community. There should be no place for barbarians and human rights abusers among the international heads of state.

Staff Writer

On Friday, October 5^th, American Thinker published a piece by Hassan Mahmoudi entitled “Striking truck-drivers crippling Iranian regime”. In the piece, Mahmoudi examines the impact of the rapidly escalating truck driver’s strike in Iran and explores the regime’s responses.

Oct 4 – #Iran

Thousands of truck drivers are on a nationwide strike demanding higher wages, lower prices for spare parts & tires, and for authorities to start responding to their demands & not provide hollow promises.#IranianTruckersOnStrike pic.twitter.com/1jqLZ9AtFm

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 4, 2018

Truck drivers across Iran are parking their vehicles across busy streets in protest at the rising business costs associated with the logistics industry.

Specifically, the protestors grievances lie in corrupt officials, rising fuel costs, high repair costs, low salaries, and poor road conditions. The national tax department has also imposed unjust taxes on truck drivers, forcing an already underpaid sector into dire financial circumstances.

#Iran: International Transport Workers’ Federation Issues Statement in Support of Striking Truckers https://t.co/xdBHyhf1bD#MEK

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) October 5, 2018

The drivers are demanding management change within the extensively corrupt Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization.

Crippling Effects

Mahmoudi cites several reports indicating that the strike has had a profound impact on the national economy. Cargo terminals across the country are inactive or closed as protestors in 259 towns and cities have stopped working.

Severe Repercussions

In response to the escalating threat to the economy, Supreme Leader Khamenei’s Chief Prosecutor, General Montazeri, announced the arrest and execution of those involved.

His statement read, “they [the protesting truck drivers] are subject to the rules and regulations of banditry and the punishment of the bandits according to the law is very severe, sometimes resulting in the death penalty”.

A U-Turn

The aggressive statement from Montazeri represents a U-turn for the Iranian regime. Just two days previously the regime was denying the existence of the strike.

The transportation director-general of Fars province had referred to the strikes as nothing more than “rumours”.

Support from the President-Elect, Maryam Rajavi

At this difficult and uncertain time for the truck drivers and their families, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), pledged her support.

Hail to the truck drivers who are on strike. The mullahs’ dastardly threats against them signal the regime’s deepening crisis. The regime neither wants, nor is able to respond to their legitimate demands, which could only be realized under freedom and popular sovereignty#Iran

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) September 29, 2018

Maryam Rajavi denounced the threats of the regime as “vindictive” and saluted the truck drivers for their defiance. She urged the Iranian youth to stand with the striking drivers in their crusade to end corruption.

She added that the real bandits in Iran were the mullahs, who use their repressive and violent regime to silence the demands of the Iranian people.

Finally, Ms. Rajavi called on human rights groups to respond to the calls of the Iranian people. She urged them to intervene to secure the release of Iranian prisoners and pressure the international community to take action against the bloody and corrupt clerical regime. There should be no place at the table for a regime that threatens protestors with execution.

Staff Writer

On Tuesday, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) issued a statement in support of the Iranian truck drivers’ strike, which, as of Wednesday, is on its eleventh day.

In the statement, the ITF’s Head of Inland Transport Noel Coard was emphatic in ITF’s support for the truckers. “Let it be clear, ITF unions globally voice their solidarity and stand alongside the truckers of Iran in their fight to defend workers’ rights,” he said.

The ITF is concerned about the Iranian government's reaction to the latest industrial action by truck drivers, which is in its second week. More here: https://t.co/qvAfUBLx6X #WeAreITF #IranProtests #Iran #SupportIranTruckers pic.twitter.com/FDKgaG85B9

— International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) (@ITFglobalunion) October 2, 2018

The ITF first supported the Iranian truck drivers during their May strike. That strike rapidly became a nationwide strike and also drew the support of the Teamsters. Despite repeated promises by the regime, few changes have been made. The current strike is the third round of truck drivers’ strikes to take place in Iran this year. The regime has now resorted to threats of execution and arrests.

According to the ITF statement: “The ITF is extremely concerned that news emerging from Iran has detailed a large number of driver arrests. Around 150 truck drivers in various provinces have reportedly been detained for participating in the action, with a spokesperson for the judiciary threatening ‘heavy punishment.’

“Most seriously, the ITF understands that Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Jaafar Montazeri, has suggested that those who initiated the protest actions will be subject to the death penalty, citing a threat to national security. His comments have been echoed by other clerics.”

Iran’s truck drivers are protesting low wages; high costs for parts (particularly replacement tires); increasing fees and costs, such as tolls and loading fees; poor working conditions; and corruption. Economic conditions have worsened over the past year with the plummet in value of the rial. Iran’s national currency has lost 80% of its value since the beginning of the year, leading to higher prices for everyone. Truck drivers are finding it more difficult to pay for essential goods, and truck parts are all but impossible to afford, making their jobs unsustainable.

The economic crisis facing Iran affects every sector of Iranian society, and truck drivers are one of many groups that have joined the protests over the past year. The MEK’s resistance units have been active in helping to organize protests across Iran among people from all walks of life who are dissatisfied with the current regime and its handling of the country.

Hundreds of striking truckers have parked their trucks in Tehran, Isfahan, Zrin Shahr, Droud, Arak, Marvdasht, Garmsar, Karan, Zarand, Marand, Kashan, Bandar Abbas, and Mashhad, according to the ITF statement. Footage of the parked trucks may be found on social media.

Staff Writer