British-based campaign group Committee for the Defence of Iranian People's Rights (Codir) demanded on Monday Tehran lift the death sentence on a teacher trade unionist and free workers' reps imprisoned for their union activities.
On the eve of International Workers Day, Codir called for greater efforts to save the life of Abdolreza Ghanbari, who's on death row in the Islamic Republic.
The rights group also demanded the immediate release of Tehran transport workers' leader Reza Shahabi, sentenced to six months imprisonment last month for engaging in union activities.
And it urged authorities to free Zabihullah Bagheri, a recently arrrested trade union activist from Isfahan, and Ali Nejati, the leader of the sugarcane workers in Hafttappeh.
Codir also challenged Tehran to stop preventing Iranian workers from setting up independent trade unions and lift the ban on May Day celebrations.
Codir assistant general secretary Jamshid Ahmadi said: "These are all demands which would be perfectly reasonable and acceptable in a free society.
"We expect the Iranian government to, at the very least, comply with the norms of international behaviour and honour international conventions.
"The Iranian people deserve no less."
Mr Ahmadi observed that there were scores of other trades union leaders and activists serving harsh prison sentences in Iran for the sole "offence" of being trade unionists and campaigning for workers' rights, improved wages and decent conditions of service.
Inflation is officially running at 20 per cent in Iran, while at least 15 per cent of the workforce is unemployed.
Mr Ahmadi stressed that the international sanctions imposed by the EU and the United States "exacerbate further the position for the working people of the country.
"The sanctions campaign against Iran is not hitting the higher echelons but is crushing the ordinary people of Iran," Mr Ahmadi warned.
"The prices of daily basic goods and housing have soared due to the devaluation of the national currency and uncontrollable inflation.
"We need to end the sanctions and press for negotiation with the regime."
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