Sajad Khaksari, son of two leaders of Teachers’ Trade Association (TTA) and editor of the now-banned TTA publication “Pen”, has faced persistent harassment and numerous detentions since 2006. He was most recently arrested on 26 April, during a teachers’ gathering in front of the Parliament. On 6 June, Branch 22 of the Revolutionary Court acquitted Khaksari of all charges, and the Court of Appeal later commuted his earlier 6-months prison sentence.
However, on 22 June, following the uprisings in connection with the presidential elections, Khasari’s lawyer was informed that the case file had to be re-examined by a different branch of the Revolutionary Court. The second trial took place without Khaksari’s lawyer being present, and Khaksari was sentenced to one year in prison on the same charges. Two of the three charges were later overturned on appeal, and Khasari was freed on 24 October. It is understood that he is still facing trial.
Hashem Khastar, a retired teacher and a trade union activist, is also serving a two-year prison term for “acting against the security of the country”. Jafar Ebrahimi-Azandaryani, a human rights activist and a member of the teacher association who was arrested on 10 June for trying to organise a union meeting, was released on bail in December. Both activists reportedly suffered from very serious health conditions, and both were denied appropriate medical treatment.