Iranians demand teacher's release

Mr Tavakoli was arrested last week after being called in for questioning by the local Revolutionary Guard.

He had previously been harrassed on a number of occasions by the security forces for his trade union activites.

Last August Mr Tavakoli and other teachers were beaten by the security forces and he was threatened for publicising news of teachers' pay cuts.

Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People's Rights assistant general secretary Jamshid Ahmadi said that the Iranian regime must get the message that the arrest was condemned worldwide.

"It is simply not acceptable for individuals to suffer arrest, intimidation and worse for simply raising legitimate trade union issues," he said.

"The terms and conditions of teachers in Iran are deteriorating at a time when the Iranian economy needs its young people to be educated and for its skills to be home-grown.

"This is the sort of issue which Mr Tavakoli was raising and should not be considered to be any kind of threat to the regime.

Since at least 2006, Iranian teachers have been handed verdicts of dismissal, imprisonment and even execution.

This is despite the country's constitution deeming membership of religious, trade and political communities a basic right.