ما نگران وضعیت رضا شهابی، هستیم.

23 December 2010

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
25 Culgoa Circuit
O'Malley ACT 2606



Your Excellency,

We write to express our concern about the situation of Mr Reza Shahabi, a member of the Executive of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company trade union. Mr Shahabi was imprisoned in July of this year and is in department 209 of Ewin Prison.

As we understand it, although his four month detention order has expired and his family has the bail money required, he has still not been released.

This in itself would seem to be a denial of natural justice. However, the case is made more critical by Reza Shahabi`s serious and deteriorating health conditions.

The free functioning of trade unions, as organizations dedicated to protecting the health and safety, wages and other working conditions of their members, is a hall mark of civilized societies where concern for their working men and women is paramount for government.

We do not believe that Mr Shahabi, and his bus union colleagues Mansour Asanlou and Said Aboutorabian should be in prison and we urge your government to release them.

This we are convinced would be the correct democratic and humanitarian course to follow.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Hannah Middleton
General Secretary
Communist Party of Australia