[1][2] On November 18, 2018 Esmail Bakhshi was arrested, together with more than a dozen other workers, during labor protests at the local sugar factory in the Iranian city of Shush.
All of those arrested were soon released on bail with the notable exception of Esmail Bakhshi who was held, without charge or legal representation, on the suspicion of crimes against "national security".
[1][3] The workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane were protesting several months of unpaid wages following the privatization of the company, with no transparency or oversight, by the Iranian officials.
[8] On January 17, 2018, the Iranian Labor News Agency reported that one of the workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Complex had been attacked by unidentified men.
The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers Union reported that after Bakhshi stepped out of the company bus, a group of masked men got out of two cars and physically assaulted him.
[9][10] On November 18, 2018 on the 14th day of Haft Tappeh strike, Esmaeil bakhshi, Mohsen Armand (another trade unionist), Sepideh Gholian and at least another unnamed worker were arrested during a protest.
[8] On November 24, 2018 on the 20th day of protests, the workers held a picket line and rally in front of the offices of the Governor of Shush before marching to a nearby square.
[16][17] While ILNA, a state-owned news agency covering labor, confirmed that Esmail Bakhshi had been hospitalized because he was beaten during interrogation, the governor and the judicial authorities of the Khuzestan Province categorically denied all reports of torture.
One of the judicial authorities of the city of Shush even claimed that Bakhshi was in tip-top shape and that the reports of torture were fake news spread enemy media.
[19] Mohammad Kazemi a member of Majles told ILNA that since torture is banned by the constitution there has to be an investigation of Bakhshi's claims and that if they are proven those responsible must be held accountable.
[citation needed] On January 6, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ezhe'i told a reporter from ILNA: "I've heard about the letter to Ministry of Intelligence and if anyone broke the law they will be punished.