Earlier today the Iranian regime finally freed Mansour Ossanlou. Mr Ossanlou, the leader of the founding committee of the Trade Union of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburbs, had been held in custody for seven months - often in solitary confinement.
Since Mr Ossanlou's only 'crime' involved reviving the trade union that the regime had smashed during the Iran-Iraq war, and posing basic demands like union recognition, signing a collective contract, and better pay and conditions, then he should have been released without any conditions. In particular, setting a bail of £83,300 (125 years' wages!) shows that the Islamic Republic still does not accept the just demands of the Vahed workers.
Despite the Iranian regime using the full range of official and other repressive bodies, including the activists of the sham labour organisations, the Labour House and the Islamic Labour Councils, against the Vahed workers they have continued to struggle for the legal recognition of their union and other demands.
We demand that the regime drops Mr Ossanlou's bail conditions, legally recognises the Vahed trade union and meets the workers just demands. We also would like to thank all trade unionists, socialists, students, parliamentarians and others around the world who have supported the Vahed workers throughout their long struggle. We are sure that international solidarity has played a key role in Mr Ossanlou's release.
Build the Iranian workers' united front!
Long live international solidarity!
Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network
9 August 2006
See also:
- A number of student, labour and other activists arrested at the Area 6 Terminus in Tehran (January 30, 2006)
- Hands off the Vahed Bus Company trade unionists! (January 2, 2006)
- Iran: We condemn the arrest of the Steering Committee of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburb (December 31, 2005)