As an appendix to "the Alternative Workers News-Iran" No.: 4
Shahrokh Zamani, a member
of The Provisional Board for Reopening of House-Painter Workers’ syndicate and
the Follow-up Committee to Set up Free Labor Organizations struggled for the
workers’ rights & freedom. He was murdered by the Islamic regime of Iran,
after 5 years of imprisonment. In his funeral thousands of his comrades &
friends gathered & shouted: we all are Shahrokh...His path is our Path...
Shahrokh is our teacher....
The Islamic Regime of Iran Murdered political
prisoner
(Shahrokh Zamani)
We have received news that Shahrokh
Zamani died in Rajaee Shahr prison. We are saddened by this news. The criminal
Islamic regime prisoned Shahrokh, put him under the most severe brutal torture,
physically & psychologically, tried all sorts of hoaxes &tricks to keep
him quiet & silence him. Despite all of the threats &crackdowns,
Shahrokh in prison, not only did not stop, but also continued his activities in
defending workers’ rights, & educating his co-workers. Shahrokh challenged
the authorities & the anti-worker Islamic regime by turning prison in to a
trench of struggle with his writings & guidelines.
Shahrokh, throughout of his life
struggled for the liberation & the emancipation of working class from exploitation
& oppression. Outside prison, in painter’s syndicate, as a member of The
Provisional Board for Reopening of House-Painter Workers’ syndicate and the
Follow-up Committee to Set up Free Labor Organizations struggled for the workers’
rights & freedom, & in prison did not stop for one moment from his humanitarian
cause & purposes, defending the rights other social classes,
prisoners/inmates & those who were sentence to death.
Shahrokh, with all his being was thinking
about the emancipation of the working class from deprivation &exploitation,
& hereby, with all his deficiencies, problems &deprivations inside
prison tried to transfer/pass his ideas outside prison for the creation of
political & trade union organizations through his various writings.
The continuation of his struggle &
commitment to the revolutionary objectives of working class in prison was like
a bullet in forehead & eyes of the corrupt & criminal ruling
authorities. That is why, these gammas of crimes & corruptions, hated
Shahrokh & others similar to Shahrokh, & therefore murdered him. Shahrokh,
not only was under mental & physical pressures, but he was deprived from
any medical treatment for his health issues, caused by many years of
imprisonment.
Shahrokh was suffering from health
& physical issue, but the prison officials, security & judicial forces were
preventing him from medical treatment. The Islamic regime is responsible for
his murder, & those responsible for this heinous crime must be brought to
justice & pay for their criminal actions, the day after tomorrows’ revolution
& freedom of the country from such Islamic oppression &exploitation.
Shahrokh is not the first victim of
Islamic regime inside prison, & it will be the last one either. As long as
this regime exists & rules with any element & form in its leadership,
we will witness the same criminal murder acts. In order to achieve freedom
& prosperity & a society clean/ away from such crimes &corruptions,
there is no other way than overthrown of Islamic regime, &replacing it with
establishment of a society free from components of Islamic regime, it means,
the same society that Shahrokh was struggling for, outside& inside prison.
The solidarity committees –abroad sympathies
& extend their condolence to Shahrokh’s families, relatives & his
comrades in the follow up committee, all of his friends& the vanguards in
working class.
In near future, we will try to organize
a suitable & worthy ceremony to appreciate & remember a true& great
fighter of the working class, also expose & protest against the crimes of
the Islamic regime.
*shame on the capitalist Islamic
regime, the murderer of Shahrokh Zamani
*Down with the Islamic regime
*Long live socialism
The solidarity committees with the
Iranian workers’ movement- Abroad
13 September 2015
nhkommittehamahangi@gmail.com
SHAHROKH ZAMANI'S LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER
September
15, 2014
Hello
my daughter: You and I like many people in this world dominated by capital and
have no freedom to exist and make decision for ourselves.
Either
we must submit to the exploitative capitalist system and think like slaves by
saying, this is our fate and destiny, we trust God, and accept
oppression and exploitation by the mafia of might and wealth as our
fixed and firm fate, or to be in search of reasons and to pursue notions and self-contemplation
in which case, the ruling elite or the agents of capitalists frightened from
our contemplations and inquiries then, they deprive us from little slavish
freedom and to scare the rest of us who are looking for consciousness and
wanting to gain their rights, transform life in to duplex hell. In this manner,
oppression and pressure so intensifies that the world for activists, conscious
of their rights become obscure and tenebrous, so that in such situation only
with their class consciousness and correct analysis of self and the enemy can
shed light on it and understand why and in fear of what, the enemy so
frightened and violates even all the tenets, laws and principles of their own
propagandas?
Dear
daughter, for this question, there is only one scientific answer and that is to
understand what class struggles is all about, our class enemy namely capitalist
class usurped the power and panics from anybody to contemplate in relation to self and class
recognition, recognizing the way to acquire human and class rights and where
class consciousness and struggle for acquiring human rights exists, capitalism
violates everything and is not subject to any rules and principles of law and
that is why they separated me from all my loved ones, all children, all youth
and all humans. All this is done to prevent me not to affect others to acquire class
consciousness and class struggle. This is class struggle which some consciously
and some spontaneously and some consider both deeply involved and it is
inevitable when awareness comes to you, you will never accept oppression and
slavery and cannot close your brain and mind and say, God is great, trust in
God. Knowledge and consciousness is only dangerous to the ruling elites and
capitalists because, it bring every man to lead the fight against oppression.
Of
course, daughter, the struggle has penalty that the individuals and their
surroundings must pay and in this regard I am sorry for you and those surround
you and I am pleased for myself that I have found the human way of thinking and
living and above all, the only way to save humanity is class struggle and the
overthrow of capitalism and although, myself and my loved ones are under
pressure and oppression but, this is the only way and it is not possible in
capitalist society both to have consciousness and accept slavery and
oppression.
But,
my dear daughter, don't be heartsick and woeful, winter goes away, disgrace
will remain on enemy and oppressors are goners and future belongs to oppressed.
Like
any father, the news of my only daughter's wedding filled my heart with joy and twin with fatherly love.
But, the dogs
of wealthy and powerful mafia, these sworn enemies of the workers even against
their own laws did not allow me for only few hours and accompanied by agent to
attend your wedding, and every morning that you were getting ready to go to
school with your infantine joy and innocent smile and a kiss from me, I wish I
could kiss you today at your wedding and wishing you happiness and humane life.
This is something that was likely to happen. As a father who is unable to
attend the wedding of his only daughter, the world in front of his eyes becomes
obscure and dimmest and I was very stricken by it. From here behind bars I see
myself in your wedding celebration and I am holding your hands, kissing your
face and saying blessed your wedding daughter, I hope and I wish you to be
happy with your partner and finding a life with dignity and humane.
The enemies of freedom,
the enemies of the people and the class enemy deprived us from beautiful ideas,
the same way they have deprived all other people and especially the working
class.
Dear daughter, after a
moment, despite my great pain, suddenly other pain strikes me, pains and
sufferings of countless other oppressed people of my country and most other
regents in the world, which quickly revived in my mind again and that is why I
am here in prison, lightening the logic of struggle for public and public
sympathy revived in me. They imprisoned me because I love my daughter, my
children, like all children, youth and all other people, they imprisoned me
because I want that all human beings to have equal rights and social/economic
justice, they imprisoned me since I am committed to my beliefs.
"If
you have no grief from other's toil, probably not that you be called human"
(poetic)
Yes
my dear daughter:
In
a country where bunch of parasitic leach, exploiting millions of people, openly
stealing and looting billions of public wealth, is one of the richest countries
in the world, and ranking number ten in mining among all countries in the world
has been transformed in to a country with 80% living under poverty line, has
one of the highest inflations, millions of unemployed, millions of children
working on the street, with sky rocketing prices, corruptions, prostitution,
homelessness, very high rate of divorce, addiction, and depression. In such
circumstances, how could I be indifferent to the fate of my chained coworkers
and instead thinking of you and myself?
How
could I be indifferent to the fate of hundreds of thousands of street working
children and tens of thousands of hungry and homeless street girls on the side
of rounder's parasite billionaires with their multimillion dollar automobiles?
How
can I be indifferent about the illiteracy of the next both future generations
of 11 million poor and deprived people on the side of easily acquired tens and
billions of dollars by the fundamentalist ruling faction?
Can
I just sat down and be an observer of six hundreds of gold and might of ruling
mafia whom do not return a quarter of country's liquidity, meaning 50 billion
dollar bank loan and in turn, 1.2 million youth lining up (queuing) waiting for
only $1,500.00 loan?
How
can we tolerate the arrest, torture and execution of thousands of freedom
loving, pro-social justice whom are solely defending their legal and legitimate
rights?
Yes
my dear daughter, a real man can be indifferent about all the indiscrimination
and inequality and injustices. You do not worry, consider loved ones here that
the idea of not going to wedding is easy here, and they were not allowed to go
to the meeting of mourning of their spouse, father, mother, and their
offspring, so the masters of wealth and power prove their complaisance to
capitalism.
Daughter,
be absolutely aware and conscious that tyrants and oppressors sequel are doomed
to the dustbin of history, this is the mandate of history, hear from your Dad
that in such class society emotional slaughterhouse, God of gold, power and
deception by injecting venom of individualism based on personal interest and
commodity consumption reduces man to the level of animal. Only those who are
able to retain their human dignity in this oozy human identity which are
willing to swim against the current and as the French revolutionaries say,
"one for all, all for one ", and studying the works of progressive
revolutionaries against the oppression and exploitation and struggling
continuously against individualistic thoughts and in this manner show sympathy
and love to fellowman in the ongoing struggle. Only in the context of genuine
love for spouse and the of springs can make sense and survive, because
otherwise, one fetishes and become fascinated by money, power and high social
status and so enamored of their individual situation and alienated from human
and class dignity. With this attitude, how is it possible to show dedication
and love toward fellowman including his spouse and children?
My
dear daughter,
Meanwhile,
wishing you good luck, I hope with choosing an honorable and humane life to be
a good wife and devoted to each other and be anti-oppression, dedicated and
useful to society.
Someone
who loves you and all humanity.
SHAHROKH
ZAMANI - RAJAI SHAHR'S PRISON
Monday,
September 15, 2014
HEAR THE VOICE OF MY PLEADING
ADDRESSED TO ALL TRADE UNIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS
ORGANIZATIONS AND FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE
I,
Shahrokh Zamani, a member of the syndicate of Tehran's Painting Workers and
pursuance committee after thirty years
residing in Tehran, on June 4, 2011, on arrival in Tabriz to visit with my
parents, was arrested by the intelligent services in the form of utterly
illegal and without slightest evidence. After forty days of mental and physical
torture was transferred to Tabriz Central Prison. In all of these forty days of
illegal detention, I was on a hunger strike to protest the situations. As I
lost 27
kilograms and absolutely do not have any interrogation. However, despite the
fact that there is not the slightest evidence on me and I was never
interrogated, bureau of intelligence and its obstinacy, branch one of Tabriz
Revolutionary Court, bringing charges of " propaganda against the regime
and organizing a socialist group ",
being punished in this case, they cut 11 years of prison for me. While,
in the sentence also, I denied everything from the beginning to the end and
this quandary reflects the trumped-up and unsubstantial charges brought against
me and later on the sentence itself as the trial judge as a result of my
insistence that on the basis of what reason I was sentenced, he declared and
said: Do you think who I am? I am in the
hierarchy of submission.
Tabriz prison is one of
the most gruesome prisons, with the most murderous prison guards, illegal and
inhumane treatment and criminalization of prisoners is notorious. Political
prisoners are deprived from having any legal rights, such as paternity leave,
or the conditional use of library that has only specialized book, is under the
control of the Bureau of Central Intelligence. These prisoners are under the
worst possible physical and psychological torture. The worst treatment is
putting ordinary prisoners together in one section with political prisoners.
Because, there is no independent wall to separate us. They do this on a daily
basis and is not a day that conflict or contention did not exist in this
bureau, small or large.
In a 20 feet room there
are 21 beds that sometimes holds 40 prisoners or more, and always seven of the
especial common prisoners for whose souls were corrupt and under intimidation,
spying and contend among other prisoners.
Political prisoners are in
contact with individuals whom are affected by AIDS or hepatitis which makes
political prisoners extremely nervous. In 2011, after three days keeping me in
this room which was considered a kind of paradise, I was taken to section 12 of
bureau of information for further persecution, to a quarantine with dangerous
prisoners which is tolerable for only three days and later with jomhour Azgoosh
from PKK, I was transferred to section 15 that had 50 individuals affected by
AIDS and hepatitis. In protest to this intolerable condition, with all other
prisoners we went on strike for few days.
In April of 2011, bureau
of information (secret agency) without any sentence, with forging the document,
I personally demanded my transfer, they transferred me to Yazd prison, I
enjoyed the kindness of this group and where they slander me that you're
leaking internal news and state of affairs to outside of prison and again they
returned me to Tabriz, section 8, occupational therapy. There, we political
prisoners of Tabriz, prepared a written
14 articles statement for the organization of prisons and thoroughly explained harassment
and persecution of prisoners by the prison guards and called for immediate
attention and investigation of our legal rights such as vacations, parole,
sports club facilities and vocational classes.....(a few seconds inaudible).
Internal security guards,
compels the ordinary prisoners to be against me and several others, and
complain and say that we insulted the leadership, damned the ordinary prisoners
and inciting the worker prisoners to strike. This case was formed at the council of cross-examination 11 and after this drama
they deported us to Rajai Shahr prison. Later, two of those who complained were
sorry.
Mr. Ahmad shahid,
Despite my family complain
to law enforcement agencies, including the office of the Islamic leader, the
Supreme Court, human rights organizations and others, I was faced with put -
downs, intimidation and threat. Despite this intimidation and threat, I would
like to remind parts of the same professional institutions to meet the
obligation and because of pressure from my family, they have told my lawyer.
Supreme Court expert said sadly that his rights have been extorted and minimum
legal reason and supreme friendly that the judge can give the verdict in his
case does not exist. One of the Islamic Human Rights individuals in Tehran
against heavy consistency in my case has told my wife that you would gain
nothing here, the decision was taken elsewhere. You can only refer to universal
human rights. Apparently the judge sentencing against pressure on the three documents
issued the sentence and said I think I am in the current complex hierarchy of
subordination.... (A few seconds inaudible).
OUR ONLY HOPE AS PRISONERS
ARE THE PARTIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST THE EXISTING INHUMANE
POLICIES OF THIS MEDEIVAL FUNDAMENTALIST REGIME.
At the end it is worth
mentioning that I have received death threats from the bureau of information
directly or indirectly. Including poisoning, putting alongside ordinary people
with AIDS, forcing mentally unbalanced, criminals and dangerous to fight with
me, put secret informers in the guise of prisoner by my side that were
persuading me to escape, so I get shot during escape, I had to stay away from
them. Several times good and decent prison guards have reminded me, According
to an instance that an engineer activist, named Amani, who by an agents through
false escape got killed, and I should take care of myself. With respect to any
consequences as such I warn all. I die in prison because the authorities have
realized it.
With the hope of a future
free of discrimination and oppression of human, I warmly shake your hands and
beforehand, I warmly thank you for your affords.
Shahrokh Zamani,
Rajai Shahr's prison,
