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Protests against Iranian government repression worldwide tomorrow
8 August 2007
Trade unionists will protest tomorrow, 9 August, at Iranian embassies in key cities across the world – including London – as part of a day of action to free jailed union leader Mansour Osanloo. Osanloo is being held without charge in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison as the latest move in a brutal two year government campaign against him and his Tehran bus drivers’ union.
The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) has called the action day as the latest tactic in its campaign to defend Osanloo and his fellow bus drivers. It chose August 9th because it is the anniversary of his release from jail in 2006 following a worldwide trade union outcry. Protests will be held tomorrow in Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Indonesia, Finland, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Trinidad, the USA and Yemen.
The London event will take place tomorrow from 12:00 to 14:00 outside the Iranian Embassy at 16 Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1PT, with protesters gathering opposite on the Hyde Park side of Kensington Road. ITF General Secretary David Cockroft will deliver several thousand petitions calling for Osanloo’s release, while protestors hold up placards with the names of all those who have signed. Photos will be available afterwards; email dawson_sam@itf.org.uk to receive these. The event is being supported by the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), British TUC (Trade Union Congress) and Amnesty International.
ITF General Secretary David Cockroft commented: “Mansour is being held without charge, without legal representation and without medical attention. When his wife tries to deliver his medicine it is turned away. When his lawyer, his family or his doctor try to visit they’re told Mansour is a spy and ejected. This is deliberate, vindictive punishment of someone for doing nothing more than upholding the simple right to belong to a trade union.”
“We and our colleagues in the international trade union movement have tried to give the Iranian Government the benefit of the doubt and see this latest attack as the work of rogue elements in the security services, but it is becoming clear that either they have authorised it at the highest level or they can no longer control their own forces.”
He concluded: “Today we will prove to them that across the world Mansour Osanloo has not been forgotten.”
Just weeks after returning from a visit to the ITF in London and meetings with union leaders in Brussels, Osanloo, 47, was attacked and snatched from a bus by unidentified assailants on 10 July. Despite desperate pleas by his family and friends the authorities denied all knowledge of the attack and his whereabouts for two days, after which Revolutionary Court Judge Saeed Mortazavi finally changed his story and admitted that he was being held without charge in Evin prison. Since then he has been denied legal and medical visits, despite problems with an eye wound he suffered in a previous attack.
Immediately after the abduction the international trade union movement mobilised to support him and firstly to force the Iranian authorities to acknowledge that it was their agents who had taken him, and then to secure his release.
Osanloo has fought back against a prolonged Iranian government campaign of arrests and violence and has been snatched and gravely assaulted before by both police and men from the Iranian security services. The leader of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), he was brought to Britain in June 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 and other world trade union leaders. (See http://www.itfglobal.org/urban-transport/tehranbuses.cfm for a history of the union’s struggles or ITF press releases at http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm ). Tomorrow’s action day will also support Mahmoud Salehi, co founder of the Saqez Bakery Workers’ Association and the Coordinating Committee to Form Workers’ Organisations, who has also been jailed for asserting the right to undertake the legal trade union activities which should be guaranteed by Iran’s membership of the ILO.
Worldwide Free Osanloo events 9 August
(Where a press contact is not shown and you require one please contact Sam Dawson)
Algeria
The General Union of Railway Workers will send a protest letter to the Iranian Embassy.
Australia
An ACTU delegation will deliver a letter of protest at the Iranian Embassy in Canberra and seek an audience with the Iranian Ambassador.
Press contact: iwilson@actu.asn.au Tel: + 61 (03) 9664 7322
Austria
The Austrian union for transport and services, VIDA, is in contact with the Foreign Ministry and has requested a meeting with the Iranian Embassy on 9 August. A rally is planned in front of the Embassy.
Belarus
The ITUC-affiliated Belarussian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) has sent a protest letter to the Iranian Mission in Minsk and has requested a meeting with the Ambassador on 9 August.
Canada
The Canadian Labour Congress has written to the Ambassador. A CLC protest vigil will be held in Toronto – Queen’s Park on 9 August between 12:30-13:30.
Press contact: Mehdi Kouhestaninejad, Tel: 001.613.302.5457, email: mkouhestaninejad@clc-ctc.ca
Egypt
The General Union of Air Transport Workers and the General Union of Land Transport will gather in front of the Iranian Embassy to protest and deliver solidarity letters.
France
French unions are planning a demonstration at the Iranian Embassy at 13:00. The CGT as well as Force Ouvrière will join this protest action. The FO will mobilize its transport and food sections.
Germany
Bus workers in Frankfurt are planning a protest action.
Great Britain
The London event will take place from 12:00 to 14:00 outside the Iranian Embassy at 16 Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1PT, with protesters gathering opposite on the Hyde Park side of Kensington Road. ITF General Secretary David Cockroft will deliver several thousand petitions for Osanloo’s release, while protestors hold up placards with the names of all those who have signed. Photos will be available afterwards; email dawson_sam@itf.org.uk to receive these. The event is being supported by the ITUC, British TUC and Amnesty International.
Press contact: Sam Dawson, ITF, Tel: +44 (0)20 7940 9260, email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
Elly Brenchley, TUC, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7467 1337, email ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk
India
NUSI and TDWU will organize a coordinated protest today at the Iranian Consulate in Mumbai.
AIRF will hold a protest at the Iranian Embassy in Delhi.
Indonesia
A demonstration will be held outside the Embassy at 10:00 and a joint protest letter will be submitted.
Press contact: Hanafi Rustandi: Tel: +62(0)21 314 1495 / 21 336 040, email: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk
Iran
The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) has asked supporters to gather at Mansour Osanloo's house in Tehran between 10.00 and 19:00. Independent workers’ groups have called a demonstration in front of Tehran University.
Finland
AKT will visit the Iranian Embassy in Helsinki together with the Finnish Food Workers’ Union and submit the ITF petition as well as the union’s petition.
France
The CFDT will participate in the activity outside the Iranian Embassy in Paris and has written to the Iranian President.
Jordan
Unions will deliver protest letters to the Iranian Embassy
Japan
A delegation from RENGO will meet with the Ambassador at the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo and also submit a protest letter and copies of the ITF petition. Mac Urata, Secretary of the ITF’s Inland Transport Section, will represent the ITF.
Malaysia
The ITF Malaysia Council plans to deliver a protest letter to the Iranian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Morocco
Union leaders from the General Union of Land Transport and the General Federation of Port Workers, together with other colleagues, will demonstrate in front of the Iranian Embassy and send protest letters to the Iranian government.
Nepal
As there is no Iranian diplomatic mission in the country, NETWON will submit a protest letter to the Nepal Government.
Netherlands
Unions will deliver a petition to the Iranian Ambassador demanding the release of Mansour Osanloo.
Norway
Four trade unions (Norsk Transportarbeiderforbund, Norsk Jernbaneforbund, Fagforbundet og Yrkestrafikkforbundet) will demonstrate in front of the Iranian Embassy at 12.00. A letter of protest will be handed over to the Ambassador.
Panama
ITF affiliates in Panama will deliver a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting that the Government communicate the unions' request that Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi are released immediately to the Iranian Government.
Palestine
The General Union of Transport Workers will send solidarity letters to the Iranian Embassy.
Romania
Federatia Sindicala Transloc will picket the Iranian Embassy and distribute leaflets calling for the release of Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi.
Spain
UGT will submit the ITF petition to the Iranian Embassy on 9 August. The union is coordinating its activities for the Action Day with CC.OO.
Sweden
A delegation from LO Sweden will deliver a letter to the Iranian Embassy.
Switzerland and Belgium
SEV will organize a protest action in front of the Iranian Embassy in Berne and submit the union's protest letter.
In Geneva, a delegation composed of representatives from Global Unions including the ITUC, UNI, PSI and IUF will visit the Mission to Iran and meet with the Ambassador at 15:30. The ITUC is also planning a meeting with the Iranian Mission in Brussels.
Press contact: ITUC press department, Tel: +32(0)22240210, email: press@ituc-csi.org
Thailand
ITF affiliated unions will participate in the Action Day.
Trinidad
The Seamen & Waterfront Workers' Trade Union will hold a press conference to highlight the plight of the Iranian prisoners.
Tunisia
Workers from the National Federation of Transport will gather in front of the Iranian Embassy to protest and deliver solidarity letters
USA
Representatives from the Teamsters Union and Solidarity Center will visit the Iranian Interest Section in Washington DC to deliver protest letters.
ENDS
For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.
Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260.
Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
International Transport Workers' Federation - ITF:
HEAD OFFICE
ITF House, 49 - 60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DS
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7403 2733
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7375 7871
Email: mail@itf.org.uk
Web: www.itfglobal.org
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