A/HRC/40/67 Arbitrary Detention.19 The Special Rapporteur concurs with the Working Group’s assessment that many of the cases follow a familiar pattern, which includes, inter alia, arrest and detention outside of legal procedures, lengthy pretrial detention, denial of access to legal counsel, prosecution under vaguely worded criminal offences with inadequate evidence to support the allegations, torture and ill-treatment, and denial of medical care.20 The patterns identified point to an urgent need for the Government to address the situation of all dual and foreign nationals detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Ahmadreza Djalali, Kamran Ghaderi, Robert Levinson, Saeed Malekpour, Siamak and Baquer Namazi, Xiyue Wang, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Nizar Zakka. The Working Group has issued opinions calling for the release of a number of the aforementioned individuals, 21 including Ahmadreza Djalali who has been sentenced to death. The Special Rapporteur is further alarmed by reports indicating that a number of them need urgent and appropriate medical care, and calls upon the Government to address such concerns. In its comments, the Government denied that Mr. Levinson was detained and stated it had “initiated investigations, on the basis of its legal obligations toward the missing allegation, and the case is still open and under further investigation”. The Government further described national security-related charges against the other aforementioned individuals. C. Right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association 16. Reports received indicate a curtailment on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of association and assembly over the year, which has affected various groups, including workers, teachers, students, minority groups, and women. 17. Workers at the Haft Tapeh sugar mill protested about unpaid wages in July 2017, August 2018 and November 2018. In November 2018, the authorities reportedly detained approximately 18 workers and labour activists.22 Twelve persons were reportedly released, while protests calling for the release of the remaining detainees continue at the time of writing. 18. In March 2018, 10 workers at the Iran National Steel Industrial Group in Ahvaz were detained for several days owing to their alleged involvement in a strike over wages and work conditions.23 In June, “dozens” more were reportedly arrested after protesting about unpaid wages.24 A strike resumed in November in the absence of a response to their demands. 19. Truck drivers have conducted strikes across many provinces since May 2018 in protest against low wages in light of increasing inflation. Over 150 drivers were later reportedly detained after they resumed their strike in September, 25 including in Qazvin Province. 20. Teachers protested against low wages and underfunding in October and November 2018. Some were detained or summoned to courts. 26 In May 2018, Mohammad Habibi, a member of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association of Tehran, was arrested. He was convicted on national security-related charges in August27 amidst concerns that he had been denied medical care despite sustaining injuries caused by ill-treatment during his arrest.28 In its comments, the Government stated that Mr. Habibi had received 27 visits for medical reasons and had been sent to medical centres three times. 21. Protests related to access to water have been reported, with demonstrations in Khuzestan Province, Bavi, Khorramshahr, Abadan, Kut-e-Abdollah and Ahvaz. Fifteen 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 See the Working Group’s opinions No. 49/2017, para. 44; and No. 52/2018, para. 82. See the Working Group’s opinion No. 52/2018, para. 86. See the Working Group’s opinions Nos. 52/2018, 92/2017, 49/2017, 50/2016 and 28/2016. See www.tuc.org.uk/tuc-writes-iranian-ambassador-regarding-arrests-haft-tapeh-sugar-workers. See www.industriall-union.org/iran-10-detained-after-protests-over-unpaid-wages-of-4000-steelworkers. See www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-15727/. See www.itfglobal.org/en/news-events/press-releases/2018/october/itf-statement-on-iran-truckersstrike. See www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/22/iran-mounting-crackdown-teachers-labor-activists. Ibid. See www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/uaa17418.pdf. 5