ckaihatsu
26th June 2008, 03:55
[From the Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network www.iwsn.org]
[The following story speaks for itself. The appalling treatment
meted out to Mansour Osanloo because he succeeded in organizing a
bus drivers' trade union shows what workers in Iran who assert their
rights face at the hands of the Islamist regime there. A model
letter of protest is at <http://iwsn.org/campaigns/osanloo-hospital-letter-jun08.htm>. -- Yosef M]
Mansour Osanloo admitted to a coronary care unit
Mansour Osanloo, the leader of the Vahed Bus Company drivers, has
been admitted to a coronary care unit (CCU) for treatment.
When Mansour Osanloo was recently allowed out of jail for an eye
operation, he was handcuffed and had his legs in chains. He was also
accompanied by three armed agents. The agents wanted to handcuff him
to the operating table during surgery.
When Osanloo and his family protested against this, the agents said
that the security police had ordered them to cuff Osanloo while he
was in the operating theatre. Osanloo replied that he was not going
to lie down on an operating table while handcuffed to it. He was not
prepared to go through with the operation in this way and would
return to jail. After a while, the agents contacted their superiors
and were forced to back down.
Then, on Monday 9 June, because of Osanloo's heart problem, his
condition took a turn for the worse, and he was admitted to the CCU
of Labafinejad Hospital. He is still there, and his condition is
described as critical. Despite this, four armed agents are in the
CCU keeping a 24-hour watch over him. This has caused added stress
and pressure on Osanloo and his family, as well as other patients
and hospital staff.
Earlier that week, an official medical examiner had issued a
certificate which specified that because of Osanloo's physical
condition, and the planned operations on his left eye, Osanloo was
not able to tolerate any punishment and that he should have 'sick
leave' for six weeks. Osanloo's family showed this certificate to
Hassan Zareh-Dehnavi, the judge who is charge of all political
prisoners' cases in Tehran province, and asked that he act on its
recommendation. But Hassan Zareh-Dehnavi relied: "We will not give
him sick leave. When he's in jail,,\ we have peace of mind, and the
workers don't gather around him." This judge later ordered the
official medical examiner to not issue any kind of medical
certificate, since this is a matter for specialists and should be
issued on the basis of a medical consultant's opinion.
On Tuesday and Wednesday [10-11 June] Osanloo's elderly mother went
to the office of judge Zareh-Dehnavi to ask for 'sick leave' for her
son. On both occasions he was not prepared to see her.
Once Osanloo had returned from London, where he had had meetings
with various labour organisations and trade unions, he was arrested
and imprisoned in wing no. 209 of Evin jail. His interrogators have
been hitting him on the head and other sensitive parts and have
damaged the cornea of his eye. They kept asking him why he had
returned from London. Because of this type of treatment, he was in
the prison infirmary for some time before being admitted to
hospital. On top of eye and heart problems, Mansour Osanloo also has
a skin condition.
The beatings and hardship that Mansour Osanloo has experienced while
in prison are standard practice for political prisoners and labour
activists (Mahmoud Salehi was also handcuffed to the operating table
when in hospital). Osanloo has always maintained that he and the
Vahed Bus Company Trade Union do not have any political demands.
They just want better pay and working conditions.
Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network condemns the way labour
activists and leaders are treated in such harsh ways. We call on
trade unionists and labour activists everywhere to send emails
protesting against Osanloo's harsh treatment as a punishment for
attempting to re-launch the Vahed trade union and demanding decent
pay and conditions for his workmates.
Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network
24 June 2008
[Source: A statement by Human Rights and Democracy Activists in
Iran, 14 June 2008]
[The following story speaks for itself. The appalling treatment
meted out to Mansour Osanloo because he succeeded in organizing a
bus drivers' trade union shows what workers in Iran who assert their
rights face at the hands of the Islamist regime there. A model
letter of protest is at <http://iwsn.org/campaigns/osanloo-hospital-letter-jun08.htm>. -- Yosef M]
Mansour Osanloo admitted to a coronary care unit
Mansour Osanloo, the leader of the Vahed Bus Company drivers, has
been admitted to a coronary care unit (CCU) for treatment.
When Mansour Osanloo was recently allowed out of jail for an eye
operation, he was handcuffed and had his legs in chains. He was also
accompanied by three armed agents. The agents wanted to handcuff him
to the operating table during surgery.
When Osanloo and his family protested against this, the agents said
that the security police had ordered them to cuff Osanloo while he
was in the operating theatre. Osanloo replied that he was not going
to lie down on an operating table while handcuffed to it. He was not
prepared to go through with the operation in this way and would
return to jail. After a while, the agents contacted their superiors
and were forced to back down.
Then, on Monday 9 June, because of Osanloo's heart problem, his
condition took a turn for the worse, and he was admitted to the CCU
of Labafinejad Hospital. He is still there, and his condition is
described as critical. Despite this, four armed agents are in the
CCU keeping a 24-hour watch over him. This has caused added stress
and pressure on Osanloo and his family, as well as other patients
and hospital staff.
Earlier that week, an official medical examiner had issued a
certificate which specified that because of Osanloo's physical
condition, and the planned operations on his left eye, Osanloo was
not able to tolerate any punishment and that he should have 'sick
leave' for six weeks. Osanloo's family showed this certificate to
Hassan Zareh-Dehnavi, the judge who is charge of all political
prisoners' cases in Tehran province, and asked that he act on its
recommendation. But Hassan Zareh-Dehnavi relied: "We will not give
him sick leave. When he's in jail,,\ we have peace of mind, and the
workers don't gather around him." This judge later ordered the
official medical examiner to not issue any kind of medical
certificate, since this is a matter for specialists and should be
issued on the basis of a medical consultant's opinion.
On Tuesday and Wednesday [10-11 June] Osanloo's elderly mother went
to the office of judge Zareh-Dehnavi to ask for 'sick leave' for her
son. On both occasions he was not prepared to see her.
Once Osanloo had returned from London, where he had had meetings
with various labour organisations and trade unions, he was arrested
and imprisoned in wing no. 209 of Evin jail. His interrogators have
been hitting him on the head and other sensitive parts and have
damaged the cornea of his eye. They kept asking him why he had
returned from London. Because of this type of treatment, he was in
the prison infirmary for some time before being admitted to
hospital. On top of eye and heart problems, Mansour Osanloo also has
a skin condition.
The beatings and hardship that Mansour Osanloo has experienced while
in prison are standard practice for political prisoners and labour
activists (Mahmoud Salehi was also handcuffed to the operating table
when in hospital). Osanloo has always maintained that he and the
Vahed Bus Company Trade Union do not have any political demands.
They just want better pay and working conditions.
Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network condemns the way labour
activists and leaders are treated in such harsh ways. We call on
trade unionists and labour activists everywhere to send emails
protesting against Osanloo's harsh treatment as a punishment for
attempting to re-launch the Vahed trade union and demanding decent
pay and conditions for his workmates.
Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network
24 June 2008
[Source: A statement by Human Rights and Democracy Activists in
Iran, 14 June 2008]