The following is based on a communication written by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts to the Government of Iran on 22 October 2024. The communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the Government time to reply. Unfortunately, the Government did not respond within this time frame. If a response is received, it will be posted on the UN Special Procedures communications database.
At the time of publication, Mohammad Habibi is expected to be released in late March 2025 after having completed his sentence, as he is currently not facing new charges. Mr. Habibi, Mr. Jafar Ebrahimi and Mr. Rasoul Bodaghi, have all been permanently dismissed from their teaching positions.
This is a shorter version of the original communication.
BACKGROUND
Topic: the repeated convictions and dismissal from employment of labour and children’s rights defenders Mr. Mohammad Habibi, Mr. Jafar Ebrahimi and Mr. Rasoul Bodaghi who have reportedly faced repercussions due to their peaceful advocacy for labor rights and education reform in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mr. Mohammad Habibi is a teacher and labour rights defender, serving as the spokesperson and a board member of the Teacher’s Trade Union of Tehran. Since 2018, he has faced multiple arrests and sentences due to his human rights and trade union activities, leading to his termination from his teaching position. He recently received a new prison sentence.
Mr. Jafar Ebrahimi is a teacher and labour rights defender, serving as the inspector for the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations. He has been actively advocating for teachers’ rights and education reform in Iran and has faced numerous arrests and charges since 2005, resulting in the termination of his teaching job. During a recent two-year imprisonment, his health seriously deteriorated. He was released in April 2024.
Mr. Rasoul Bodaghi is a teacher and labour rights defender, a board member of Iran’s Teachers’ Trade Association, and a former supervisor of the teachers’ committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran. His advocacy for teachers’ rights and education reform has led to repeated arrests and convictions since 2009, resulting in almost a decade in prison, as well as his dismissal from his teaching position. He is currently serving a prison sentence.
ALLEGATIONS
The case of Mohammad Habibi
On 10 March 2018, Mr. Habibi was arrested during a peaceful teachers’ demonstration in Tehran. Reports indicate that his arrest involved excessive force. He was subsequently detained in Evin Prison.
On 4 August 2018, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Habibi to seven and a half years in prison on charges of “collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the state,” and “disrupting public order” for his peaceful involvement in trade union activities.
In November 2020, Mr. Habibi was released from the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary after serving 30 months, following a sentence reduction based on a directive issued by the head of the Iranian judiciary.
On 5 April 2023, Mohammad Habibi was arrested during peaceful protests against the poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran. These protests, held in April and May 2023, were a response to a series of poisonings, believed to be acts of reprisal against women and girls for asserting their rights and participating in the 2022 nationwide protests.
During his arrest, Mr. Habibi was reportedly assaulted and filed a complaint against the security agents involved. However, his lawsuit was dismissed after security agents claimed he had allegedly attempted to flee their vehicle.
On 21 May 2023, Mr. Habibi was released on bail of one billion IRR after 47 days of detention. He had been charged with “gathering and colluding to act against national security” by Branch 2 of the Shahryar Revolutionary Court, based on his social media posts protesting the poisonings and calling for accountability.
In September 2023, Mohammad Habibi was dismissed from his teaching position for the third time. Previously fired in 2020 and 2021, he was temporarily reinstated by the Administrative Justice Court. However, a new ruling by the Ministry of Education’s Disciplinary Board, later confirmed by the court, led to his dismissal. His charges include organizing and participating in union protests and being a member of the Teachers’ Trade Association.
On 21 July 2024, Branch 2 of the Shahryar Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohammad Habibi to six months and one day in prison on charges of “gathering and colluding against national and external security.” The charge was based on his social media posts protesting the poisoning of schoolgirls, within the broader context of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.
The case of Jafar Ebrahimi
In 2005, Jafar Ebrahimi was arrested during a peaceful teachers’ protest in front of the Iranian parliament and received a formal reprimand in his employment record.
On 10 June 2009, he was sentenced to six months in prison for “propaganda against the state” in connection with his labour rights activism. He was released after serving the full sentence.
On 26 December 2019, he was arrested for attending a ceremony honouring those killed during the nationwide protests in November 2019. He was released on bail in January 2020.
On 31 January 2022, the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced him to five years for “propaganda against the state” and “gathering and collusion against national security” for attending the ceremony.
On 30 April 2022, he, along with Mr. Bodaghi and Mr. Habibi, was arrested again for planning teachers’ gatherings on 1 May. During the arrest, all three faced physical violence, house raids, and the confiscation of their electronic devices.
On 24 October 2022, the Tehran Court of Appeals upheld his five-year sentence for “gathering and collusion” and “propaganda against the state”.
On 27 April 2024, after serving two years, Mr. Ebrahimi was released from Qezel Hesar Prison in Alborz Province. His health had significantly deteriorated, with his autoimmune IBD condition becoming active. He reportedly developed diabetes during his imprisonment following a denial of adequate medical treatment and medical furlough. On one occasion, when he was taken to a hospital outside the prison for treatment on 15 November 2022, he was reportedly chained to the hospital bed for over 12 days during his stay.
In May 2024, following his release, he appealed his dismissal from the Ministry of Education after 24 years of service. However, the Administrative Court of Justice upheld his dismissal, barring his return to teaching.
The case of Rasoul Bodaghi
On 2 September 2009, Mr. Bodaghi was arrested and later sentenced on 4 August 2010 by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court to six years in prison for “assembly with the intent to disrupt national security” and “propaganda against the state” due to his activities for teachers’ rights and union efforts. He was also banned from social, political, or union activism for five years.
In September 2015, following the completion of his six-year sentence, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Bodaghi to an additional three years in prison for “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the supreme leader.” This sentence followed a complaint filed by the Head of Rajaee Shahr Prison.
On 28 April 2016, Mr. Bodaghi was released from Evin Prison, after serving a total of seven years.
On 11 Dec 2021, Mr. Bodaghi’s home in Tehran was raided by security forces. He was physically assaulted, detained, and held in Evin Prison’s 209 Ward until 21 Dec 2021. His and his wife’s devices were confiscated, and he was denied proper clothing. The arrest occurred during nationwide teacher protests demanding better classification, pension reforms, and educational improvements.
On 12 April 2022, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced him to four years in prison for “gathering and collusion with the intention of disturbing national security” and one year in prison for “propaganda activities against the state.” In addition, Mr. Bodaghi was handed a one-year travel ban, a two-year ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, and a two-year ban on membership of political parties and social groups.
On 23 February 2024, Mr. Bodaghi’s attorney, Ramin Safarnia, informed Mr. Bodaghi’s family that his request for retrial had been accepted by the Supreme Court’s 32nd branch, with his potential release on bail pending court assignment.
On 16 Sept 2024, Mr. Bodaghi was granted a one-week release to attend his daughter’s wedding.
CONCERNS
In the communication, we express our grave concern that the repeated convictions and dismissals of Mr. Mohammad Habibi, Mr. Jafar Ebrahimi, and Mr. Rasoul Bodaghi appear directly linked to their peaceful advocacy for labor rights and education reform, including by exercising his right to free expression and participating in peaceful assemblies, and seriously infringe upon their human rights and livelihoods.
The recent conviction of Mr. Habibi for peacefully criticizing the handling of the schoolgirl poisonings in Iran is particularly troubling, especially since the state has yet to provide any results from its investigation into this issue. This concern is further amplified by our previous communication (AL IRN 17/2023), where we brought attention to the Iranian Government information regarding similar cases in which activists were convicted for criticizing the investigation into the poisoning of schoolchildren.
Additionally, while we welcome Mr. Bodaghi’s temporary release and retrial, the harsh sentence he endured and his return to prison after completing his temporary release are alarming. It is also troubling that all three labour rights defenders have been dismissed from their jobs, depriving them of their sole source of income due to their union activities.
The Government’s conflation of legitimate trade union activities with criminal actions raises serious concerns about its chilling effect on civil society, in violation of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iran in 1975.
