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The international trade union movement has mobilised to free Mansour Osanloo, the persecuted Iranian trade union leader who was last night beaten and abducted.
Osanloo has fought back against a two year Iranian government campaign of arrests and violence and has been snatched and gravely assaulted before by both police and men believed to be from the Iranian security services. The leader of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sharked-e Vied), he was brought to Britain last month by the ITF to address trade unionists from around the world about the union's struggle. He then travelled to Brussels to meet the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) and other world trade union leaders.
Osanloo was followed yesterday by an unmarked, metallic grey Peugeot car (a make favoured by the security services). As he was about to step off the bus on his way home he was grabbed by a number of assailants, who ordered the other passengers to stay away and shouted that he was a "hoodlum and a thug". They forced him into the car.
The witnesses on the bus state that he was beaten severely, and his attackers continued to assault him as they drove away.
Given the violence used and his recent history there is strong reason to believe that elements of the Iranian authorities were responsible for this attack. When his wife went to the police station nearest their home (128th Branch Police Station in Narmak), the Deputy Information Officer harangued her, refused to confirm or deny that they were holding her husband, and told her he was a spy and "an agent of a foreign power".
The ITF and ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) have taken the following immediate action to bring pressure on the Iranian Government.
- They have jointly written to President Ahmadinejad, protesting against the attack
- They have asked ILO (International Labour Organization) Director General Juan Somavia to help free Osanloo. ILO
- Executive Director, Kari Tapiola is having a prearranged meeting today with the Iranian Labour Attache in Geneva, and will raise the matter.
- They have added this latest attack to their complaint to the ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association against the Government of Iran.
- They have promised to mobilise trade unions internationally to shame the Government of Iran if Osanloo is not released today.
Meanwhile the British TUC (Trades Union Congress) also sent a letter of protest to the Iranian Ambassador in the UK and notified the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Copies of all of these can be seen at www.itfglobal.org/solidarity/osanloo2.cfm or contact dawson_sam@itf.org.uk to receive them.
ITF General Secretary David Cockroft commented: "It's less than a month since we were giving Mansour Osanloo a standing ovation here in London. He received the same treatment in Brussels from the world's trade union leaders. All of us are behind him now and demand his release and the reining in of the bullies and thugs who are hounding him.
"Just a week ago his deputy was arrested and then released the same day in the face of local and international protests. We trust that the same kind of sense will be shown here and that Mansour will speedily be returned to his family and friends. But even so this continued cowardly mobbing of one rather heroic man is both contemptible and inexcusable."
He concluded: "This is a blatant violation of human and trade union rights and we will take whatever action is necessary to secure the immediate release of Mansour Osanloo".
For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson, direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260. E-mail: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
International Transport Workers' Federation - ITF: HEAD OFFICE, ITF House, 49 - 60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR,Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7403 2733, Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7357 7871, Email: mail@itf.org.uk Web-page: www.itfglobal.org
Source: ITF (International Transport Workers Federation)