Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a well known labour activist and a prominent children’s rights activist, who is no stranger to Islamic regime of Iran’s notorious interrogators and jail guards, was recently arrested and his whereabouts is unknown to his worried elderly parents. In a press release, his family has said that Behnam was arrested on December 22nd 2018 in his home and was transferred to an unknown location. He was not given any reason why he was being arrested; but was told that an 18 months jail term is awaiting him!
Behnam is one of the original members of the first activists’ organization since the 1979 Iranian revolution, set up in 2004, that tried to help to set up workers’ organizations inside the workplaces. He has been very active in defending workers’ and children’s right as well as in community mobilization to help victims of numerous earthquakes in Western part of Iran. Meanwhile he has been arrested and jailed many times since 2008. He served 7 consecutive years of jail terms. When Behnam was recently being arrested, the guards also confiscated his son’s cellphone with no reasons given.
Behnam was treated very harshly while serving his long 7 year jail term. He was deliberately placed with known criminals to be beaten up, on the implicit orders of prison authorities.
In the aforementioned press release from Behnam’s family, they have asked support from national and international organizations and individual to put pressure on Islamic regime to free Behnam immediately and unconditionally. Behnam deserves every support effort from every one of us to support him however we can.