Mansour Osanloo has finally been freed by the Iranian regime. For almost four years Osanloo, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Trade Union of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburbs, has been imprisoned because of his trade union activities. He had often been mistreated, including being denied medical care, while in prison.

Although IWSN is very pleased to hear this piece of good news from Iran, we have to bear in mind that he was released on payment of bail and told that his freedom was conditional on his ‘good behaviour’. Yet he has committed no crime! All Mansour Osanloo did was to help re-launch the Vahed union and organise his workmates in defending jobs, pay and conditions!

We must also remember that Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi, two other Vahed union leaders, are still in the Iranian regime’s dungeons. The fight for their release goes on.

To read more about the Mansour Osanloo and the Vahed union, including the attack by the Islamic Labour Councils on the Vahed activists, see our Vahed campaign page.

Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network
2 June 2011