The workers of Haft Tapeh have issued a statement on January 21, 2008 in which they reported that following their successful strike and protest actions they wer able to achieve some of their basic demands; thus they decided form their own organization in

1. Salehi Still in Hospital! Two members of the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi arrested!

2. Important Announcement by the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi

1. Salehi in Hospital again!

Two members of the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi arrested!

According to the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, on Monday, January 21, 2008, Chiako Gharbehi and Mehrdad Amin Vaziri, both members of the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, who had gone to Tohid hospital to visit Mahmoud were arrested and taken to custody. They were charged with taking pictures and visiting Salehi. Many other people on that day had gone to hospital to visit Salehi. These two activists were detained at police station 13 until Tuesday, January 22^nd when they were taken to the court (branch 4). The presiding Judge, Kaaviani, after their trial, acquitted them of the charges, but the security forces took them again to the police station and they were released at 3:00 PM on Tuesday. The security forces’ intelligence officials have told them that they will summon them again soon.

According to the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, Mahmoud was taken from the Sanandaj prison’s medical clinic to Tohid hospital in the morning of Thursday, January 17, 2008. He had signs of kidney failure as well as hearth attack and stroke. Mahmoud was kept in the hospital’s emergency department until 2 PM that day and then was transferred to the CCU department of the hospital. On Saturday, January 19^th, Doctor Dara Ahmadi announced that the risk of hearth attack or stroke has been significantly reduced. On Sunday, January 20, 2008, Mahmoud was transferred to the cardiovascular department of Tohid hospital where he has been staying under heavy security measures. In hospital, they took tests to diagnose heart disease as well as brain CT scan, and he is expected to get kidney ultrasound. Doctor Asadi, a heart specialist, has been given prescribed medication to Mahmoud.

2. Announcement by the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi

Recently, a website named “Iran Press News” has published an article with this heading: “Medical conspiracy to murder Mahmoud Salehi” that has caused many concerns and worries both in the country and abroad.

-Unfortunately, many websites have copied this news without confirmation of information.

-We, the “Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi”, deny the news and believe that the below mentioned issues needs to be clarified:

-The insertion of such heartbreaking news and reports is a sign of media censorship in Iran. If the media were free to publish correct news and reports about Mahmoud Salehi regularly, this situation would not have to occur.

- Not admitting Mahmoud Salehi to meet his family is another reason for display of such news. Mahoud Salehi’s family are facing obstacles for meeting him. If the prison authorities had allowed Mahmoud to meet his family immediately, this kind of news wouldn’t have appeared at all.

-“Iran Press News” website, regardless of its intentions in publishing such inaccurate news, must reveal the source of its news: where and how did they find about it? For public information, we have to emphasize that the time of transferring Mahmoud to hospital and then to CCU in their report are wrong.

-We hope that this site will publish this announcement in its website.

-We declare that all news regarding Mahmoud Salehi’s physical health as well as all his letters, announcements and notices are valid only if they were published in the weblog of the ” Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi”.

-Our news about Mahmoud Salehi’s physical health is provided either directly from Mahmoud himself or from his family who are members of the “Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi”. We only publish them after ensuring their accuracy.

-We thank all those who are fighting for immediate release and treatment of Mahmoud Salehi, and we are asking them to please send us all the news and reports regarding Mahmoud Salehi prior to publishing and distribution in order to ensure their reliability and accuracy.

Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi

January 19, 2008

[email protected]

www.kdmahmodsalehi.blogfa.com

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Please continue with your solidarity actions:

Send an appeal to the Iranian authorities to release Mahmoud Salehi immediately or to ensure he urgently receives appropriate medical treatment.

Amnesty International: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=386

Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi – Iran: Send a message of hope | Send an appeal to the Iranian authorities

http://amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=352

LabourStart:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=295

ITF: www.freeosanloo.org

For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

Background Information: www.workers-iran.org

http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/INDEXI.htm