It is safe to say that there has been some commotion in the Iranian diaspora media scene over the past years: changes in editorial leadership, the emergence of rich television stations, tensions over renewed budgets and journalists hopping between media outlets.

The Swedish Trade Union Confederation referred to as LO along with four other labor and workers’ rights organizations in Sweden have issued a joint statement calling on the Iranian authorities to end the arrests and security treatment of Iranian workers and labor rights activists including Esmail Bakhshi, Ali Nejati, Jafar Azimzadeh, Parvin Mohammadi, as well as Sepideh Gholian.

In the border regions of Iran, one of the most hazardous and arduous ways of eking a living is to become a porter, a human mule or a Kulbar as the locals call the one who transports loads on one’s back through the mountainous regions.

Iranian labor Activist Esmail Bakhshi has been arrested again by Islamic Republic authorities after having spoken out against being tortured and abused in the course of his previous arrest.