On International Workers’ Day, Amnesty International demanded from Iranian officials the “immediate and unconditional release of incarcerated workers and teachers and other activists arrested for participating in peaceful protest or other activities such as freedom of speech, assemblies, and peaceful gatherings.”

The suppression of truckers’ strike across the country, protests of workers of companies such as Ahvaz Steel and Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane are among the peaceful protests and strikes mentioned by the Amnesty International.

According to the statement, at least 12 labor and education activists are currently held in Iranian prisons.

The organization emphasized that these arrests are “illegal and arbitrary according to international laws.”

According to the researches done by Amnesty International, since the International Workers’ day last year, the Iranian officials have arrested “hundreds of workers and workers’ rights advocates”.

The judiciary has issued “dozens of prison sentences” and “flogging in at least in 38 cases”. These workers were accumulatively sentenced to 3000 lashes.

The organization also demanded an investigation into complaints about torture and abuse of labor rights activists including Esmail Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian.

Amnesty International continues: “In the last 12 months, at least 20 teachers were arrested, and several were sentenced to prison, flogging or other punishments.”

The organization adds: “At least 8 teachers were sentenced to both prison and 74 lashes for defending teachers’ rights and participating in peaceful protests to increase their wages.

The Amnesty International’s report was published before the protests of teachers and workers on Wednesday and Thursday led to dozens more arrested across Iran.