Teachers have taken to the streets of several cities in Iran, including the capital, Tehran, to demand fair wages, better working conditions, and the release of their jailed colleagues.
Reports suggest that the protests on April 21 were held under tight security.
Amateur video posted online showed protesters in Shiraz chanting: “Imprisoned teachers must be released.”
The Iranian Teachers Trade Unions Coordination Council reported on Telegram that at least 30 protesters were detained in the protests on April 21.
Teachers have in recent months taken to the streets on several occasions to protest their conditions and demand higher wages. They have also called on the government to speed up the implementation of reforms that would see their salaries better reflect their experience and performance.
On April 19, a court in Iran sentenced Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the teachers' union and a civic activist, to five years in prison after convicting him of illegal assembly and propaganda. Bodaghi was also banned for two years from living in Tehran or leaving the country, his lawyer said.
The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said Bodaghi had been sentenced solely for "peaceful activism.”
CHRI has called on Iran to allow teachers to exercise their right to public protest without the threat of violence or arbitrary arrest.