Acts of intimidation against Mr. Mansour Osanloo's wife and sister

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Iran:

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) about acts of intimidation against the wife and sister of Mr. Mansour Osanloo, President of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sandikaye Kargarane Sherkat-e Vahed), who has been arbitrarily detained since July 10, 2007 at the prison of Evin, in Tehran.

According to the information received, on September 3, 2007, the wife of Mr. Mansour Osanloo, Ms. Parvaneh Osanloo, and his sister were briefly arrested in Tehran after they attempted to meet with Ms. Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who was at the time visiting Iran. They wanted to highlight the case of their husband and brother to the High Commissioner.

Indeed, after talking with Ms. Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel peace prize winner, who was due to meet with Ms. Arbour herself, the two were bundled into cars by plainclothes police officers. Relatives of a number of detained students who were also there to see the High Commissioner were arrested along with the two women. Following the incident, Ms. Ebadi protested vehemently and a few minutes later they were released.

Background information:

Mr. Mansour Osanloo was abducted on July 10, 2007 by unidentified assailants as he was leaving a public bus near his home at around 7 pm. According to witnesses, Mr. Osanloo’s assailants beat him severely, and continued to beat him as they took him away in a metallic grey Peugeot to an undisclosed location. Mr. Osanloo had apparently been followed all day by the unmarked Peugeot car. Such vehicles are well known as being associated with the Iranian Security Forces.

On July 12, 2007, Mr. Osanloo’s arrest was acknowledged by the Revolutionary Prosecutor Mortazavi. Since then, Mr. Osanloo was reportedly charged with “conspiring against national security”.

The Observatory expresses its deep concern about these acts of intimidation against Mr. Osanloo’s relatives, as well as about his arbitrary detention, and fears it might be directly linked to his trade union activities. As a matter of fact, Mr. Osanloo and leaders of Sandikaye Sherkate Vahed are regularly subjected to acts of reprisals (See Observatory Annual Report 2006).

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities in Iran urging them to:

1. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Mansour Osanloo as well as of his relatives, in particular his wife Ms. Parvaneh Osanloo and his sister;
2. Release Mr. Mansour Osanloo immediately and unconditionally as his detention is arbitrary;
3. Put an end to all acts of harassment against all Iranian human rights defenders;
4. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, and Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;
5. More generally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Iran.

Addresses:

• Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader, Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98.21.649.5880 / 21.774.2228, Email: info@leader.ir / istiftaa@wilayah.org / webmaster@wilayah.org;
• President, His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98.21.649.5880, E-mail: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir;
• Head of the Judiciary, His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98.21.879.6671 / +98 21 3 311 6567, Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com;
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Manuchehr Motaki, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Av, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98.21.390.1999, Email: matbuat@mfa.gov;
• Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 7330203, Email: mission.iran@ties.itu.int;
• Ambassador Mr. Ahani, Embassy of Iran in Brussels, avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 15 A. 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 762 39 15. Email: iran-embassy@yahoo.com.

Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Iran in your respective country.

***

Geneva-Paris, September 7, 2007

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need. The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.

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