On the eve of the second anniversary of the nationwide protests in 1401 and the Mehssa movement, the death sentences issued against women in the courts of the Islamic Republic caught everyone by surprise. “Sharifeh Mohammadi”, a labor activist, is one of the women who has been sentenced to death on charges of “rebellion”. Mrs. Mohammadi is a former member of the “Coordination Committee for the Support of Labor Organizations”; membership in this organization is one of the charges against this activist, which has been mentioned in the indictment against her. The monthly magazine “Khat-e-Solh” conducted an interview with “Mahmoud Salehi”, one of the founders of the “Coordination Committee for the Support of Labor Organizations”, to question the nature of this labor organization and the reason for the death sentence issued for Sharifeh Mohammadi. The interview is provided below.

Mahmoud Salehi is a former labor activist and political prisoner who has been repeatedly

What have been the activities of the members in the coordination committee and what goals are they pursuing?The Coordination Committee is a public workers’ organization. Its duty is to assist in the establishment of workers’ organizations in Iran, as there were no such organizations before. After the revolution, only a few organizations, such as the Islamic Labor Council, the Islamic Labor Association, and the Workers’ House, were allowed to operate. Therefore, Iranian workers felt the need to come together and help organize and raise awareness to form workers’ organizations in their workplaces, which was the goal of this committee. I was one of the founders of the Coordination Committee. The founders of this committee were four people: Mohsen Hakimi, Behrouz Khobaz, Bahram Dezaki, and myself.

During the many activities you have had in recent years, what obstacles and difficulties did you face?Naturally, when we form an organization and create a group that the authorities do not allow to obtain a license, it is clear that we will face many obstacles. From the beginning of our activity, we have faced conflicts and summons every day, and we have been attacked every day. We have been threatened many times, but we have continued our activities.

The Coordination Committee has an articles of association. We believed that at the time of forming any group, there should be a framework in place so that its members do not act on their own. The members who joined these organizations also acted according to this articles of association. However, they did not accept our activities. Whenever we wanted to hold a general assembly, we faced more confrontations from security institutions. We were not allowed to hold our general assembly in a public place, so we had to do it in an unofficial location so that the government would not find out about our presence. The reason for this was to prevent the interruption of our general

According to the news published about Mrs. Sharifeh Mohammadi, her activism has been carried out in the most civil manner possible. The ruling issued by the Revolutionary Court of Rasht also confirms that Mrs. Mohammadi has not committed any violent actions and has not been found in possession of any cold or hot weapons during any of her activities. When you received the news of her death sentence on charges of rebellion, what was your reaction?On the first day that the execution order was issued for Sharifeh Mohammadi, I announced that I should also be arrested. If Sharifeh is accused of being a member of the coordinating committee of criminals, I am also a criminal because I was the founder of this committee. The coordinating committee was not formed in secret for its activities to be considered illegal. The coordinating committee was formed publicly, had a public website, and its members were known. As one of the founders of this committee, I have had numerous meetings and discussions with officials such as the governor, the governor general, the inspectorate, and the Ministry of Intelligence regarding the coordinating committee and its status. For example, as a representative of the coordinating committee, I attended and participated in their meetings to organize the May 1st ceremony (International Workers’ Day). Therefore, this committee was not formed in secret for its members to be included in this order. In my opinion, either this judge had a personal issue with Shar

You mentioned in your sessions with official government agencies. These sessions meant that the coordination committee recognized you as the founder and representative of the committee, right?Yes, I was attending these meetings as a member of the coordination committee. The members requested in the sixth general assembly to ask the Ministry of Labor for registration. I was responsible for following up on this matter. We requested and officially submitted the names of our members to the Ministry of Labor and the International Labor Organization and registered our request. 

Was Mrs. Sharifeh Mohammadi a formal member of the coordination committee?Yes

Will issuing such a decree for a labor activist narrow the field for activities like yours?No! Actually, it expands the space. Because we are here, we are in the streets, markets, and society. Are we just one or two people who can do everything? The point is that labor activists have a position and a base among the people. Iran is also in transition. The protests on the streets have no leader. The only ones who can give direction to these protests are labor activists. These are the same activists who fight every day.

Do you think issuing such a decree is related to the increase in protests and labor activities? Are these types of decrees issued to put pressure on labor activists?Yes! This order has been issued to put pressure and say: Working class! Do not make any mistakes. But they cannot intimidate us. Many of them have come with their own hammer to do something and have failed. Now they cannot do anything.

Do you think this ruling is issued to pressure labor activists or to pressure women?This is a member. In our charter, there is no discussion of men and women. In our charter, being a member is important and we do not care about the gender of our members. The duty of the coordination committee is exactly the issue of organization. Security forces have also concluded that this committee has written about organization and helping with organization. Protests are also a form of organization. The issuers of these orders want to create fear in society. They want to tell us not to make any mistakes. Don’t do anything. Don’t participate in protests and gatherings. I myself was present at the funeral of “Mahsa Amini”. Afterwards, security forces attacked our house. They broke the windows and my bride was injured. I asked why did you do such a thing? I haven’t done anything. They said you were present at Mahsa’s funeral, and this means you have given legitimacy to that gathering. The issue is creating fear and the fear of authority from these individuals. They

Does it mean fear in order to take away this social authority from the labor movement?Yes! But they can’t.

You mentioned organization in your discussion. The question is whether the pressure on the coordinating committee is due to the power of organization or regular labor activities?Our society is hungry and unemployed and the conditions are such that wherever you raise your head in this society, you encounter organization. For example, on the street next to the water organization, women are sitting and protesting for water. Well! It is your duty to go and organize. Or for example, you see people gathering for electricity problems. It is your duty to organize. The system and the ruling relationships also know this and increase the pressure for you not to do this. Not to organize. That means the protests on the street will be without a leader.

Do you consider the reactions of labor organizations and public opinion to this unjust decree appropriate?There are many objections to this ruling. In society, both inside and outside the country, among organizations and labor activists, among teachers and environmental activists, and among any force that is opposed to the current situation. Everyone has objected to this ruling and considers it a “terrifying ruling”. These objections will only increase. The working class will never leave its members alone. We have not done so until now, and we will not do so in the future. We will do everything in our power to overturn this ruling. The judge who issued this ruling must be prosecuted and apologize to the honorable Mohammad family. This ruling is illegal. Even according to the laws of the judicial branch, it is not a legal ruling. Therefore, a 100% apology must be given to the honorable Mohammad family.

And what if you think about the unspoken points…?The members of the coordination committee must specify what they want to do. Currently, the Behnam committees have formed a “Committee for the Defense of Sharifeh Mohammadi.” However, the coordination committee must take direct action and organize its members to gather on the streets.

Does that mean in your opinion the only solution is protests and street presence?Yes! Everything ends on the street. We have no illusions about anywhere else. Any protest must be done on the street and with strength.

Thank you for the time you have dedicated to our monthly magazine, “Line of Peace”.