Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran(enter date) November 2006
Dear Mr President
I write to bring to your attention the recent grave developments within the Iranian workers’ movement and express my deep concern about them. In particular, the re-arrest of Mr Mansour Ossalou, the leader of the Steering Committee of the Trade Union of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburbs, by plain clothes agents on Sunday, 19 November 2006.
Mr Ossalou and two other steering committee members were on their way to the office of the Labour Ministry in East Tehran. When Mr Ossalou got out of the car to buy a newspaper he was surrounded by a number of plain clothes agents. After refusing to show any identification or arrest warrants the agents physically and verbally assaulted Mr Ossalou and Ebrahim Madadi, the union's deputy-leader, who he tried to intervene. One of the agents even pointed a gun at Mr Madadi and fired a bullet over his head. The agents finally forced Mr Ossalou into a waiting car and drove away.
Several hours later the authorities told Mr Ossalou's wife that he was in Evin prison: where he had been held - often in solitary confinement - and mistreated from December 2005 until August 2006. He was released after a bail of £83,300 (equivalent to 125 years' wages!) was set.
Since Mr Ossalou's only 'crime' involves reviving the trade union that the regime 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 be released immediately and without any conditions.
I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention in this regard in the international media.
Yours sincerely
(enter your name)
-----------------------------
Please send your protest letters to:Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran.
Fax: 98-21-648.06.65
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.irPlease send a copy of your protest letters to:
Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network
Email: iranwsn@fastmail.fm
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, Bte 1
1210 Brussels
Belgium
Fax: +32 (0)2 201 5815
E-mail: internetpo@ituc-csi.org
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Labour Office
4, route des Morillons
CH-1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland
Email: ilo@ilo.org