Iran: Protest against trade union arrests

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28th December: Trade unionists and human rights activists around the world are protesting against the arrest of bus union leader Ebrahim Madadi in Tehran yesterday. Join the protest!

According to his union, Vahed Syndicate, Madadi was visiting the North Tehran Branch of the Employment Office when plain-clothes security personnel detained him with a court order and took him into police custody. He is believed to have been in one of the police branches in the evening of 27 December and appeared before the judge the following morning (28 December). Meanwhile, two Executive Board members of the union are verbally summoned by the secret police.

Madadi, the Vice President of the union, was previously arrested on the International Action Day, 9 August 2007, when worldwide protest action was taking place against Mansour Osanloo's abduction on the previous month after his return from his European visit. And although Madadi was given a three and a half year sentence in October, he was released from prison two months later. Furthermore, the court ordered the Tehran Bus Company to reinstate him in June 2008.

This is not the first time that the Iranian authorities have taken unjustified actions against genuine trade unions during the Christmas holidays. Less than a week ago, the trade unions condemned the arrest of Mohsen Hakimi, a member of the 'Iranian Writers Association' and the 'Coordinating Committee to Form Workers Organisations,' who was detained by the secret police for unknown charges. He is now being held in Section 209 in Evin Prison. At the same time an auto worker, Bijan Amiri, at Pars Khodro factory was also arrested under unknown charges.

The ITF, together with the ITUC and the entire global trade union movement requests the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Ebrahim Madadi, Mohsen Hakimi, Bijan Amiri as well as Mansour Osanloo and Farzad Kamangar immediately and unconditionally. There is reason to have concern about Osanloo's health as we have received reports that he has not been given adequate medical treatment during the past two months.

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Other pages for 2008 Solidarity:
Humanitarian effort in Georgia / South Ossetia | Support the Hebei Two | Support striking workers in Budapest airport | Turkish road union members in prison

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