On May Day this year in Iran, two brave women - Sousan Razani and
Shiva Kheirabadi - participated in open celebrations of the
international workers' holiday.

The regime considers this to be a crime and the women were arrested.

They have just been sentenced to 15 lashes apiece, as well as four
months in prison.

They're not alone. In a new and ferocious wave of repression directed
against worker activists, a Kurdish teacher (Farzad Kamangar) has been
sentenced to death. Three men (Abdullah Khani, Seyed Qaleb Hosseini,
and Khaled Hosseini) have been sentenced to 120 lashes between them,
as well as prison sentences. Afshin Shams has been arrested and
awaits trial.

Meanwhile, Mansour Osanloo, leader of the Tehran bus workers, has
languished in jail since July 2007.

Enough is enough.

The Iranian regime must now receive a loud and clear message from the
international labour movement that we have not forgotten our sisters
and brothers in Iran. Thousands of us must raise our voices.

You can help send that message by going to LabourStart's new campaign
page here:

 http://www.labourstart.org/iran

We have also launched a cause on Facebook for those of you using that
social network:

 http://apps.facebook.com/causes/110025

Spread the word – build the campaign. No to whippings and
executions!