Arrest of Saqqez Bakers’ Union Head and 10 Striking Bakers Following Labour Protest

2 July 2025
News Category: Arrests – Workers and Guilds
Breathing in Confinement – The head of the Saqqez Bakers’ Union, along with 10 other bakers, has been arrested.

According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Yadollah Elmi, the head of the Bakers’ Union in Saqqez, was arrested by security forces along with at least 10 other bakers and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to published reports, these individuals had previously approached provincial authorities, including the governor’s office, demanding a review of their union-related concerns and an increase in bread prices to offset the rising costs of production. However, it is reported that no effective response or action was taken by the authorities.

Following the authorities’ inaction, the bakers launched a labour strike on Wednesday, 2 July 2025, in response to which security forces arrested the union leader and ten striking bakers.

At the time of this report, no detailed information has been made available regarding the location of their detention or their legal status.