Standing Fast

Its amazing that with all our concern about building democracy in the Middle East, those who are actually putting their lives on the line to fight for a democratic Iran are totally ignored by the media and by both the left and the right in this country(with a few exceptions). Did anyone remember the media spending anytime covering the student protests against the idiotic Holocaust conference held in Tehran this fall? Mansour Ossanlou is slowly becoming the Lech Walesa of Iran. A leader of the Tehran bus drivers, Ossanlou has been in and out of jail for the last decade thanks to this organizing. The following call is from the the Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network. One American group that is doing this kind solidarity work with real fighters for democracy in the Middle East is here.

Mansour Ossanlou's trial begins

By the Iranian Workers' Solidarity
Network - www.iwsn.org

Monday, 26 February 2007

Mansour Ossanlou, the leader of the Steering Committee of the Trade Union of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburbs, appeared in court on Saturday, 24 February 2007. His 'trial' at the 14th branch of the Revolutionary Court was held behind closed doors and he has been told that he or his lawyers cannot divulge details of the charges brought against him. If they do, then he will be 'in contempt' and this will be added to his charges!

Parviz Khorshid, Mr Ossanlou's lawyer, told reporters that the charges against his client are propaganda against the realm and activities against the country's internal security. During the next five days Mr Khorshid and Molaii, Mr Ossanlou's other lawyer, will present the court with a written resolution defending him against thesecharges. Two days later the court will vote on its decision.

Outside the court the Vahed bus drivers, their families and other supports protested against the closed session of the court. They held placards with "We demand that an open trial for Mansour Ossanlou", "What is Mansour Ossanlou's crime?!", "We demand that all restrictions on the workers of the Vahed trade union be removed", and "We demand that the sacked Vahed trade unionists be reinstated".

Mr Ossanlou was held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison from December 2005 untilAugust 2006. He was often held in solitary confinement and mistreated in various ways. He was released after a bail of £83,300 (equivalent to 125 years' wages!) was set.

Since Mr Ossanlou's only 'crime' involves reviving the trade union that the regime smashed during the Iran-Iraq war, and posing basic demands like union recognition, signing a collective contract, and better pay and conditions, then all charges against him should be dropped immediately and unconditionally.

We urge you to support the struggle of the Vahed workers for union recognition and the campaign for dropping all charges against Mr Ossanlou by sending protest letters (see the model letter) to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and solidarity messages to theIWSN email address. Your support will give a big boost to this struggle and uplift the general mood of the Iranian workers' movement.

Free all labour activists imprisoned in Iran! Build the Iranian workers' united front!

Long live international solidarity!

Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network25 February 2007