Tuesday 21 September 2010

One-year additional sentence for Mansoor Osanloo confirmed; Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi continue to be detained

As reported previously, Mansoor Osanloo, President of Tehran’s bus workers’ union, was retried on 1 August 2010 and sentenced to one more year in prison for ‘propaganda against the system’. Now, according to news released by the bus workers’ union (Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company), the appeal court of Tehran County has confirmed the sentence. This one year sentence is in addition to the five-year sentence which Osanloo was given for his union activities, four years of which he has already spent.

Mansoor Osanloo suffers from a number of ailments, such as a heart condition, backache and eye problems, which various medical panels of the Islamic regime itself have confirmed and have then called for his release.

Meanwhile, two other board members of the union, Ebrahim Madadi and Reza Shahabi continue to be jailed, also for union activity. Madadi has already spent over two years of a three and half year sentence, and Shahabi has been detained since June 12th without charge. Shahabi suffers from neck and back pain, and is said to be in poor health.

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company has condemned the confirmation of the additional sentence on Osanloo and the continued detention of Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi, and called for their release.

Monday 20 September 2010

The latest news regarding Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and Reza Shahabi

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, trade unionist and children rights activist, and Reza Shahabi, board member of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate, were visited by their families on Thursday Sept 2.

In this first visit since Behnam's arrest about three months ago, his family noticed serious injuries on his body. In his first telphone contact from prison, Behnam had informed his family about his injuries, inflicted in the hands of Islamic regime's jailers. His bail has been set at 100 million Rials (US$100,000). Behnam's family, while protesting this amount, are trying to raise the sum to release him.

Reza Shahabi has also been detained since June 12. He is in a critical health condition. His arrest order has been extended for three more months, he suffers from pain in his neck area and, while on medical leave, was kidnapped by the agents of the Information Ministry. Due to suspended medical treatment and three months' detention in Ward 209, he is now suffering from further physical problems such as backache and digestion problems.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners including Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Reza Shahabi, Mansoor Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi.

Release all imprisoned workers and political prisoners!

Free Them Now! Campaign

Shahla Daneshfar
0044-77798 98968
Shahla_Daneshfar@yahoo.com
Bahram Soroush
0044-7852 338334
Bahram.Soroush@gmail.com

To sign the Free Them Now! petition and for information about imprisoned workers, please visit:.
http://free-them-now.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Translated by Kamran
Courtsey of "A Global Revolution"