interview
June 27, 2010
Mansour Osanloo’s Wife in Exclusive Interview with Rooz:
Daughter-In-Law Suffered Miscarriage After Officers’ Attack
Fereshteh Ghazi
Mansour Osnaloo’s family called for in investigation into the beating of the family’s young daughter-in-law. In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Mansour Osanloo’s wife said, “My daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and we didn’t know. After the attack she was bleeding heavily, and when we looked into it, it turned out that she was two months pregnant. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage.”


Parvaneh Osanloo also told Rooz, “What happened to my daughter-in-law was a warning sign for all of us. I ask all international human rights organizations to help us and not allow for things like this to happen anywhere in the world. I announce right now that the Islamic Republic officials are responsible if any member of my family’s life is in danger or anything happens to us.”

Mansour Osanloo is the president of Iran’s bus drivers’ union and one of the country’s most prominent labor activists. He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on national security-related charges.

As Mr. Osanloo is serving the fourth year of his sentence, his young daughter-in-law was arrested, harassed and beaten at an undisclosed location, and released after being threatened not to speak about the incident, according to Mr. Osanloo’s family.

While Islamic Republic’s judicial and intelligence officials have remained silent about the incident, Parvaneh Osanloo told Rooz that her family does not feel safe and the Islamic Republic’s officials are responsible if any member of Mr. Osanloo’s family is harmed.

Rooz: Why do you think your daughter-in-law was targeted?

Parvaneh Osanloo (Osanloo): They just want to intimidate and terrorize our family. They want to put Mr. Osanloo under pressure.

Rooz: Mr. Osanloo is already behind bars, why should be he pressured more?

Osanloo: The gentlemen should answer that question. They are so scared of Mansour, who has been behind bars for the past four years, that they treat his family members like this, even though he has been paying the price for his labor activism.

Rooz: Do you know which organ or agency was responsible for this incident?

Osanloo: No, they blindfolded her. She doesn’t know where she was taken and we don’t know who took her.

Rooz: What specific demand did they have of Mrs. Zoya Samadi?

Osanloo: They asked her to sign a statement guaranteeing that Mr. Osanloo would not continue his activism after his release and would leave the country with his family!

Rooz: How is Mrs. Samadi dealing with this physically and emotionally?

Osanloo: Unfortunately she has been hurt a lot. She’s still in shock. She hasn’t regained her mental composure yet. Aside from bleeding from the nose and the mouth, and injuries to her mouth, my daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and we didn’t know. After the attack she was bleeding heavily, and when we looked into it, it turned out that she was two months pregnant. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage.

There is a FREE MANSOUR OSSANLOU NOW!!!! Facebook group

for people to join...

 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3453570496&v=wall

We will be highlighting the plight of Iranian workers on International Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani Day: World Citizens against Stoning. End to stonings, end to executions, end to torture and imprisonment of all workers, student and women activists!

Join us: Trafalgar Square, London,UK - 2-4pm on Saturday 24 July 2010

Also:

Sample protest letter (Updated June 27, 2010)

Please use all or any part of this sample protest letter

Support campaign for freedom of labour activists!

Free Tehran Bus Workers' Leaders Now!

Free all jailed labour activists now!

I (we) am (are) writing this to demand an immediate freedom of all imprisoned representatives and members of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company and all other labour activists currently incarcerated in different prisons in Iran.

I (we) also strongly denounce the kidnapping and torture of Mr. Mansour Osanloo’s daughter-in-law. As the result of this gruesome act, Ms. Zoya Samadi suffered a miscarriage as she was pregnant at the time.



As of this time, four leaders and elected representatives of Vahed Syndicate are in prison. Mansour Osanloo, Syndicate's president of the board of directors (serving five year jail sentence since 2007, Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President (serving 3.5 year jail sentence since late 2007); Saeed Torabian, Public Relations director (arrested and detained since June 9, 2010, and Reza Shahabi, Treasurer (arrested on June 12, 2010).

Mr. Osanloo has been subject to harassment and threats of new charges by prison officials. While in prison, Mr. Osanloo has recently been interrogated and accused of relationship with opposition groups as well as insulting leaders of the Islamic Republic. These allegations have been denied by Osanloo.

In addition, there are many other labour activists in prisons and persecuted. Asad Moloudzadeh, Behnam Alizadeh, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, Alireza Akhavan and Pejman Rahimi, all labour activists, have been arrested and charged or jailed for their labour activities in recent weeks.

I (we) demands immediate and unconditional freedom of all these labour activists. I (we) condemn this new round of attack against Tehran bus workers' union and the continuous gross attacks on human and workers’ rights in Iran.

Name:

Organization:

Position:

Send your protest letters to:

 info@leader.ir,  info@judiciary.ir,  dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir;  iran@un.int;  ijpr@iranjudiciary.org,  info@dadiran.ir,  office@justice.ir,  support@irimlsa.ir;  info@bus.tehran.ir;

Send Copy of your Protest Letters to:

CC:  info@workers-iran.org;  wkgroup@ilo.org;  eastgulf@amnesty.org



International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

 info@workers-iran.org; or  alliance@workers-iran.org

www.etehadbinalmelali.com

www.workers-iran.org