Global Unity for Iranian Workers: American Bus Drivers Stand Up for Ossanlou

Human rights activists in Washington DC have begun a campaign to raise awareness about the situation of Mansour Ossanlou, and, by extension, all political prisoners in Iran. The campaign has begun by engaging local bus drivers, explaining what the Islamic regime has done to Ossanlou and other labor activists, and asking for their support. The photos demonstrate the support for Ossanlou by bus drivers in Washington DC; one of the men in the photos is an owner of a bus company.

“Some bus drivers showed their seriousness in supporting political prisoners by requesting written information on Ossanlou and other prisoners so they can follow up ways of supporting him at their home and work place in a way that suits them best and assures effectiveness and continuity.”
~ Human rights activist with the Ossanlou campaign.

Additional photos include evidence of the campaign’s activities in front of significant Washington DC landmarks: the US Capitol Building, the American Bar Association, and, importantly, the American Red Cross Building. An important objective in the fight against political imprisonment and abuse of political prisoners is to open the doors to the Islamic regime’s prisons to the Red Cross.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Mission Free Iran is very excited about this new effort in Washington DC, and we encourage citizen activists everywhere to replicate this campaign:

1- To get you started, the DC Ossanlou campaign activists have provided a pdf file of the Mansour Ossanlou poster that can be downloaded, printed, and disseminated through your community. You can use the text below, in English or Farsi, to explain Ossanlou’s story so that people understand why you are asking for their support.

2- The DC Ossanlou campaign has also published their activities in the local Iranian newspaper, which is another way to raise awareness in your community; click on the thumbnail image to the left to see the article. The DC campaign published in the Iranian papers, but it is important to get this information into non-Iranian community newspapers as well.

3- Finally, you can write to the International Labor Organization (ilo@ilo.org) and demand that the Islamic regime be expelled from the ILO and replaced by true representatives of Iranian workers.

Maryam Gowhari has provided the following texts from the campaign, in English and Farsi:

Human rights activists in Washington DC have begun a campaign as of the beginning of June to raise awareness about the situation of Mansour Ossanlou, the syndicate leader of Tehran’s bus drivers, and, by extension, all political prisoners in Iran. The campaign has started by engaging local bus drivers, explaining what the Islamic regime has done to Ossanlou and other labor activists, and asking for their support. Ossanlou’s posters have also been posted in bus stations and busy locations.

Some bus drivers showed their seriousness in supporting political prisoners by requesting written information on Ossanlou and other prisoners so they can follow up ways of supporting him at their home and work place in a way that suites them best and assures effectiveness and continuity.

Ossanlou was taken to solitary confinement on May 29 from ward number 5, the special ward for those prisoners being treated with methadone or who are infected with hepatitis and AIDS. The transfer is said to be related to a new case against him alleging making contacts with the members of the opposition in the prison. It is bee reported that this transfer was done with the intervention of a double murderer who had conspired with prison authorities.

Ossanlou has been in custody as of July 12, 2007, along with his deputy, Ebrahim Madadi. Ossanlou was transferred to Rajaee Shahr Prison in October 2008. Osanlou suffers from serious eye disease and requires medical treatment after his open heart surgery of several years ago. The Medical Examiners’ Commission, with five specialized physicians who examined Ossanlou., recommended that he be released for medical reasons but judicial authorities refused the recommendation.

In a response to this transfer, David Cockroft, the general secretary of the International Transport workers’ Federation (itf) issued a statement demanding Ossanlou’s prompt and unconditional release. ITF General Secretary David Cockroft stated: “This move appears designed to allow Mansour to be assaulted at whim, away from public attention.” He continued: “We are today bringing this latest blatant abuse of power to the attention of the International Labour Organization, and by personal complaint to the Iranian authorities, on whom we once again call to respect fundamental human decency and stop this persecution of an innocent man.”

In a letter to Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, Cockroft wrote: I call on you to either immediately stop this latest persecution of Mansour Ossanlou, or to prove the reports wrong by allowing his family and reliable representatives to visit him and check where he is being held and his state of health.
I would strongly urge you to release Mansour Ossanlou and Ebrahim Madadi. The international community of transport workers, many of whom are involved in the import and export of Iranian goods, are watching the situation very closely. They believe Iran can only benefit from the introduction of measures to guarantee respect for the basic norms of human and trade union rights.

In an interview, Ossanlou’s mother complained that the family has been left in dark and getting information about his condition is hard. She said that [it is hard for her that,] as an old, sick woman, every time she wants to visit him she has to be present at the prison at 5:00 am for only a 15 minutes visit, and by the time she is back at home it is after 6:00 pm. She also added that both she and her daughter-in-law have been threatened by authorities.

*

فعالان حقوق بشر در واشنگتن کمپینی را از ابتدای ژوئن شروع کرده اند تا به میزان آگاهی مردم این منطقه در باره وضعیت منصور اسانلو رهبر سندیکای اتوبوسرانان تهران و حومه وبه موازات آن سایر زندانیان سیاسی ایران بیفزایند. این کمپین ضمن تماس رودررو با اتوبوسرانان وشرح آنچه که جمهوری اسلامی بر سر اسانلو و سایر فعالان کارگری آورده است از آنها درخواست حمایت میکنند. همچنین به نصب پوستر های اسانلو در ایستگاههای اتوبوس و اماکن پر رفت آمد می پردازند.

برخی از رانندگان اتوبوس جدیت خود را برای حمایت از اسانلو با درخواست اطلاعات مکتوب برای پیگیری در خانه و کارشان ابراز کردند روشی که هم به برنامه کارشان می خورد وهم نتایج موثر تر و دائمی تر در پی خواهد داشت.

اسانلو از 29 ماه می به بخش پنج زندان مجرد گوهر دشت انتقال داده شده، بخشی که ویژه زندانیانی است که تحت معالجه با داروی آرام بخش هستند و یا برای مرض آماس کبد زیر درمان هستند. گفته میشود که این انتقال در رابطه با اتهامی است که به او زده شده است که با اعضای گروه اپوزیسیون در زندان تماسهائی برقرار کرده است. گزارش حاکی است که این انتقال با دخالت قاتل دوگانه ای صورت گرفته که با مقامات زندان دست به بکی کرده بوده است.

اسانلوهمراه با معاونش ابراهیم مددی از 12 جولای 2007 زندانی شده است و از اکتبر 2008 به زندان رجائی شهر انتقال یافته است. او از یک مرض چشمی رنج مبرد و نیز بعد از عمل جراحی قلب باز، کمسیون 5 نفره پزشکان متخصص از او بازدید و توصیه کرده است که وی به دلائل پزشکی باید آزاد گردد ولی مقامات قضائی از اجرای این امر سر باز زده اند.

در واکنش به این انتقال، دیوید کاکرافت، دبیر کل فدراسیون کارگران حمل و نقل بیانیه ای صادر کر د که درآن آزادی فوری و بدون قید و شرط اسانلو درخواست شده است. آقای کاکرافت اظهار داشت که بنظر می رسد که این حرکت به این جهت صورت گرفته که اسانلو را در معرض حمله دلبخواهی زندانیان معتاد این بخش و دور از جشمان ناظر قرار دهند. او ادامه داد که ما امروز این سو استفاده بارز از قدرت را در معرض دید سازمان بین المللی کار قرار میدهیم و با چندین شکایتی به مقامات ایرانی به آنها یاد آور می شویم که شرف اساسی انسانی را رعایت کنند و از آزار یک مرد بی گناه سر باز زنند.

کاکرافت در نامه ای به احمدی نژاد رئیس جمهور ایران گفت: ما به شما خاطر نشانمیکنیم که فورا به آزار اخیر اسانلو خاتمه دهید تا ، با اجازه ورود خانواده و نمایندگان مورد اعتمادشان برای اطمینان از سلامت او، خلاف گزارشهای جاری ثابت شود. من قویا پافشاری می کنم که منصور اسانلو و معاونش ابراهیم مددی را آزاد کنید. جامعه بین المللی کارگران حمل و نقل که در امر ورود و صدور کالا به ایران دست دارند این مساله را از نزدیک نظاره می کنند و باور دارند که ایران میتواند ازبکارگیری تدابیری جهت احترام به هنجار های پایه ای حقوق انسانی فقط سود ببرد.

مادر اسانلودر گفتگوئی اعلام داشت که خانواده اش را در ابهام نگه داشته اند و گرفتن اطلاعات در مورد اسانلو مشکل است. او گفت که برای یک ملاقات پانزده دقیقه ای او باید از پنج صبح به زندان برود و زمانیکه به خانه بر می گردد شش عصر است که برای یک پیرزن مریض سخت است. او افزود که همراه با همسر اسانلو مورد تهدید مقامات قرار گرفته اند.