In July 2022, about 20 workers from the Sungun copper mine in East Azerbaijan Province have been arrested over a few days. The arrests came after riot police on July 7 broke up a strike by hundreds of miners at the country's largest open-pit copper mine. Miners spent three days in tents and cars at the mine complex, demanding better conditions and higher salaries. The Free Union of Iranian Workers denounced the attacks and said the mine's management cooperated with the security agencies in carrying out these arrests.