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Protest rally wins release of Iranian union's Vice President
4 July 2007
 |  | | Ebrahim Madadi set free earlier today | |
A protest rally by members of the Tehran bus workers’ union has won the release of the union’s Vice President. Ebrahim Madadi had been arrested yesterday after a renewed bout of anti-union repression by the Iranian regime.
Members of the ITF-affiliated union, Sandikaye Kargarane Sherkate Vahed, held a protest rally in Tehran in front of the Ministry of Justice this morning calling for Madadi’s release. Shortly after the rally, all charges were dropped and Madadi walked free.
He had been arrested yesterday at 13:00 during one of his regular visits to the Western Tehran Labour Department. There he planned to discuss the dismissal of 40 workers. He was refused entry into the premises and was subsequently held by Bharestan station police for alleged "public disorder".
During an earlier visit on 10 June he was beaten severely by seven men after the Vice Director of the office refused to deal with the cases. His injuries required hospital treatment.
In a message of solidarity, which was sent to the rally, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft and ITF Inland Transport Section Secretary Mac Urata confirmed their backing for the call to release Madadi.
The attack against the union took place in the wake of the return to Iran of the union’s President Mansour Osanloo; he had been visiting the ITF and the International Trade Union Confederation last month. Osanloo has himself twice been detained over the past year and a half.
Osanloo commented: “Madadi’s release now gives us much hope. It has made us more determined than ever to continue our struggle.”
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