johninnit

Urgent campaign action

Farzad Kamangar is an Iranian teacher, unionist and human rights activist, charged by the Revolutionary Court of Iran with being a terrorist (through alleged links to the PKK) and sentenced to death on no convincing evidence.

The international teachers’ union federation, Education International, has learned that Farzad has been taken from his political prisoner’s cell in Evin prison (where he has been tortured and denied medical treatment)  today in preparation for execution by hanging. He may be executed in the next few hours – it is already afternoon in Iran. (more…)

The labour movement in Zimbabwe is being kept silent for yet another critical month, as Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) leaders Wellington Chibebe and Lovemore Matombo turned up in court to face charges of “speading falsehoods prejudicial to the state”, only to find the prosecutor had again not turned up for the trial.

The human-rights infringing bail conditions of no public appearances for Wellington and Lovemore remain in force now until a new trial date of 17 September – no doubt strengthening Mugabe’s hand by keeping the ZCTU out of public opinion on the current power-sharing talks. (more…)

Great news that Mahmoud Salehi was freed on Sunday. He had already served his one year jail sentence, and it looked worryingly as though the authorities were planning to cook up fresh charges to keep him inside, prompting him to go on hunger strike and fellow unionists in Iran and around the world to join in protest until he was released. He joins Ebrahim Madadi of the Tehran bus workers’ union and, who were both also released from jail late last year, after arrests earlier in 2007 for union activity. Still behind bars though, with continuing fears for his health is Mansour Osanloo. (more…)

Today is the ITF’s global day of action in support of Mansour Osanloo, leader of the Tehran bus drivers’ union, who is currently being held in Evin Prison, because of his union related activities. (more…)

Well, I don’t think they’d value a Christmas card anyway, but I found a nice postcard of Tolpuddle to send to Mahmoud Salehi, currently in jail in Saqez.

Amnesty are asking everyone to write personal cards in solidarity to him and to Mansour Osanloo, who are both still imprisoned (along with other colleagues) for their trade union activities (Salehi in particular for organising May Day celebrations). You can find our how to write to them here. (more…)

Samarand Salehi is the 17 year old son of imprisoned Iranian unionist Mahmoud Salehi, and I’m sure his Dad would be very proud of him.

He’s written a very moving article (Mahmoud Salehi is unforgetable – Do not forget him!) about the difficulties for his family over the years that Mahmoud has spent in jail, as a result of his trade union activities, since Samarand was 12. (more…)

Nearly two months have passed now since the arrest of Mansour Osanloo, the leader of the Tehran bus workers’ union.

Also still in custody in Iran, with friends seriously concerned for his health without medical treatment, is Mahmoud Salehi, the former President of the Saquez bakers’ union, jailed for his role in organising May Day celebrations.

Mansour Osanloo is 48 years old. In 2004, he and 14 other bus workers in Tehran started an independent trade union, which very quickly signed up the majority of the city’s bus workers, leaving the state-sponsored union, the Islamic Workers’ Council. Since then, the bus workers have become a rallying point for free unions in the country, and have taken effective actions. When Mansour was arrested in 2005, bus drivers started giving rides for free in protest until he was released, bringing the city to a standstill after armed guards were sent in to break up their action. They have also successfully stood up to a ruling that women could only use the 20% of seats at the back of their buses. This has come at a heavy price though – including arrests and the severe beating of their families and children by the Iranian branch of Hezbollah.

Mahmoud Salehi is 45 years old, and married with two children. Born into poverty in the city of Saqez in Iranian Kurdistan, Mahmoud started working in bakery and tailoring at the age of 6. Mahmoud joined the newly founded Saqez bakers’ union at the age of 17, and since helped organise events for free unions and May Day celebrations – work that has seen him incarcerated three times before now. Mahmoud has only one kidney and is said to be suffering from kidney stones, heart and intestinal problems, and needs medical treatment outside of prison.

Unionists from many organisations in the UK will be helping to step up protests this Thursday (9th August) at the Iranian Embassy in London, as part of a worldwide day of action for the two men. The demo, called by the ITF, will be running from 12-2pm, so if you get a lunchbreak in Central London, come along and join us for a bit. You can find a map here.

And if you can’t be in London, mark the day by blogging something about Mansoor and Mahmoud, and help keep the pressure on Iran.

If you’ve not yet done so, there are online petitions here (ITF – Mansour Osanloo) and here (LabourStart – Mahmoud Salehi) that could do with your signature.