Special report on kidnapping and torture of Mansour Osnaloo's daughter-in-law by agents of Intelligence Ministry

Parvaneh Osanloo: "Because of agents' assaults my daughter-in-law Suffered Miscarriage."

According to reports received by �Human Rights and Democracy activists of Iran Roya Samadi, daughter-in-law of Mansour Osanloo, president of the board of directors of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was kidnapped and savagely tortured by three agents of Intelligence Ministry.

On Wednesday 2^nd of Tir (June 23, 2010) Ms. Samadi, while going home from work around 5:30PM, was attacked by three men as soon as she got off the metro train in Karaj. The agents grabbed her by hair and while pulling her by her hair were kicking and punching her. All of this in broad day light in front of all other shocked commuters. Ms. Samadi while crying for help kept repeating that she's Mr. Osanloo's daughter-in-law. The agents put a tape over her mouth as to silence her pleas, and kidnapped her to an undisclosed location.

At the undisclosed location she was put inside a cell, cuffed at hands and feet, with her eyes also covered, and was savagely tortured for a long while. The blows were concentrated on her face and head. Her head was repeatedly hit against the wall. Scars from the beating are evident all over her body. Her gums are torn, teeth broken, swelling of head, wound on her arms and the right foot, and bruises all over her body.

While being tortured the agents kept shouting at: �You have to promise to us if Osanloo is freed from jail, he can't stay here, and should not do a thing.�

After hours of savage torture, beating and abuse around 9:45 PM, the agents left her shocked body under Sayed Khandan Bridge, and left her. They also emphasized to her that she shouldn't complain about this to anyone, and if she does she'll face the consequences.

Although almost 24 hours has passed Ms. Zoya Samadi is still in shock and has not recovered.

For some months now she has been intimated by phone calls from Intelligence Ministry interrogators, she was once even ordered to show up at the 14^th District �Islamic Revolutionary� ( read reactionary) Court. When the family showed up in the court they were told that such orders had never been issued. She was also beaten up last year and they attempted to kidnap her back then.

The International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI) strongly condemns the kidnapping and torture of Zoya Samadi, the daughter-in-law of Mansour Osanloo. This is a serious criminal act ordered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has caused irreversible harm to Mrs. Samadi including the miscarriage of her fetus and physical and emotional damages. All those responsible for this inhuman action including their bosses must be put on trial for the most gruesome violation of human rights and dignity.

______________________________________________________________________________RAHANA- On Wednesday June 23rd, 2010 at around 5:30pm Zoya Samadi, Mansour Osanloo�s (Head of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran & Suburbs Bus Company) daughter in law was leaving work to go home. Samadi was brutally accosted by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence at the Tarasht metro station when she stepped out of the metro momentarily in order to allow other passengers to leave the metro.

The Intelligence Ministry agents in plain sight of all those present, pulled off Ms. Samadi�s headscarf from her head and proceeded to beat her and drag her by the hair.

After arresting Samadi, she was taken to an undisclosed location for four hours. While being tortured, the agents told her� You must guarantee that if Osanloo is released from prison, he will never remain in Iran and that he will cease all activities.� It is worth mentioning that in the past few days reports were released alluding to a pardon for Mansour Osanloo and his imminent release from jail. We spoke to Parvaneh Osanloo, Mr. Osanloo�s wife, regarding the possible news of her husband�s release from jail and the recent arrest of her daughter in law. The content of our conversation is as follows:

Mrs. Osanloo describes her daughter in law Zoya Samadi�s arrest as follows:� On Wednesday afternoon when Zoya was returning home from work, she was attacked by Intelligence Ministry agents at the Tarasht metro station. They began beating her from the moment she was arrested. She was handcuffed, blindfolded and taken to an undisclosed location.�

While being arrested, Samadi tried to cry out for help. Her cries were however in vain as the agents proceeded with great speed and did not allow anyone to intervene. They then transferred her to a location she is unable to identify as a result of her blindfolds.

Parvaneh Osanloo made the following statement regarding Samadi�s current condition� The extent of Ms. Samadi�s brutal beatings is clearly evident by the marks on her body today. She is currently in a state of shock. Nose bleeding, nausea, and a severe back pain are only some of the complications she is suffering due to this severe and brutal beating.�

Osanloo continued: � I have no idea why they did such a thing. My daughter in law has done nothing wrong and the fact that Mr. Osanloo is in prison has nothing to do with her. My husband saw Zoya only one time on the night of her engagement to our son. I am ashamed and humiliated in front of my daughter in law and her family. What has she done to deserve to be treated this way? They arrested her and continuously beat her for three to four hours. They then let left her injured under Seyed Khandan bridge.�

Upon finding out about this incident, the Osanloo family rushed to Zoya Samadi�s help and transferred her to a hospital where she was treated overnight. The intelligence agents warned her � You are not to inform anyone about this incident, nor are you allowed to file any form of complaint.�

In reference to this demand, Osanloo�s wife said � What kind of behavior is this? Why are they not asking Mr. Osanloo himself for guarantees to leave the country and to cease all his activities? How can his daughter in law give any guarantees on his behalf ? Mr. Osanloo is fully aware of what he must and must not do. They think that by putting pressure on my husband, he will change into someone else. He has already endured extreme hardship under the worst of circumstances. Why won�t they leave his family alone?�

�They removed the headscarf of an innocent woman who is a stranger to them [referencing Islamic rule that women should cover their hair in the company of those that are not a member of their family] and wrapped it around her neck to suffocate her. They threatened her that if she says a word they will kill her and much more. Is this Islam? Is this the rule of the law? Does our country not have any laws? Who are these individuals? Where do they come from? How do they dare commit such crimes in broad daylight?�

It is worth mentioning, that a few days ago, the International Labor Organization, ILO in its annual report on the Iranian Judiciary, announced that the Islamic Republic had agreed to pardon Mansour Osanloo the imprisoned head of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran & Suburbs Bus Company.

The news by the ILO led to the kidnapping and torture of Osanloo�s daughter in law. Parvaneh Osanloo�s remarks regarding this matter were as follows: � We had heard about this news. However, neither we nor Mr. Osanloo have been informed directly. The only thing they have done so far is inform my daughter in law that they plan to release my husband and if they do she must promise that he will leave Iran and cease all his activities.�

She continued: �The activities of Mr. Osanloo are nobody�s business. What kind of freedom is this? What is the value of a freedom associated with these types of threats and behavior? If this is the case, then we don�t want him to be freed. This is not freedom. This is yet another form of imprisonment. Why should we have to leave our country by force? Even though we are deprived of all security, Iran is still our country. We feel a sense of insecurity and threat to our lives, even when we leave the house just to go shopping.�

Mansour Osanloo is enduring his fourth year in the section 3, ward 8 at Rajai Shahr prison. Parvaneh Osanloo added �We have endured four years. When Mr. Osanloo was told of this incident he was deeply affected. He has a five year sentence, with only one year remaining. We don�t want this type of freedom. This is not freedom. If need be, we will wait one more year until he is freed from prison. They have brought so much pain to our family. We have compliantly endured all of it without a word. Is that not enough? They imprisoned him. They fired him from his job. How much injustice can they throw at one person? In this country, does anyone else other than them[referencing the current government of Iran] have any rights?�

In closing, Parvaneh Osanloo called upon all Human Rights Organizations to support the �defenseless� Osanloo family and said �I call upon all International Human Rights Organizations and anyone who cares for innocent people and their basic human rights to do whatever is in their power to help us out. We are defenseless here. They have damaged our family and continue to do so.�

Mansour Osanloo, the head of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran & Suburbs Bus Company, was first arrested in January 2006 when he spent 8 months in jail. He was once again arrested in November 2006 and released a month later on bail. In the summer of 2007 Osanloo attended an annual meeting of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in London where he was also a speaker. He was arrested for the 3rd time on 10 July 2007 when he returned back to Iran. At the time of his arrest he was attacked by Intelligence Ministry agents on the street and first taken to Evin prison. Osanloo was later transferred to Rajai Shahr prison where he still remains.

Source: Street Journalist

Parvaneh Osanloo: "Because of agents' assaults daughter-in-law Suffered Miscarriage."

Harana news agency-Osanloo�s family is seeking official investigation and prosecution regarding the savage incarceration and torture of their young daughter-in-law. Mrs. Osanloo while announcing their demand for legal action, also added: �My daughter-in-law was two months pregnant, and none of us knew about the pregnancy. Since the attack she's been bleeding profusely, while seeking medical attention, we all realized she had been pregnant; unfortunately she had miscarried the fetus.

Parvaneh Osanloo also told �Roozonline�, �The incident for our daughter-in-law was an alarm bell for all of us. I ask all human rights organizations to help and prevent such actions from occurring in any part of the world, and hereby I declare that if lives of our family members are endangered or if anything happens to any of us officials of the judiciary and Islamic Republic are the be held responsible.�

Mansour Osanloo chairperson of Tehran Bus-drivers' Syndicate, is a renowned labour activist, he's been sentenced to five years of prison based on security charges.

And now while Mr. Osanloo is spending his fourth year in incarceration, according to his family, his young daughter-in-law was arrested and taken to an undisclosed location, and repeatedly beaten up. After threatening not to reveal anything about the attack they left her under Sayed Khandan Bridge.

While Judiciary and security officials have been silent about this case, and have refused any explanation, Parvaneh Osanloo in a dialogue with � Roozonline� described her daughter-in-laws physical and emotional condition, and declared that her family lacks any protection and if anything happens to any of them, officials of Islamic Republic are to be held responsible.

Osanloo�s Daughter-In-Law Suffered Miscarriage after Officers� Attack (Parvaneh Osanloo�s interview with roozonline)

Rooz: Why do you think your daughter-in-law was targeted?

Parvaneh Osanloo (Osanloo): They just want to intimidate and terrorize our family. They want to put Mr. Osanloo under pressure.

Rooz: Mr. Osanloo is already behind bars, why should be he pressured more?

Osanloo: The gentlemen should answer that question. They are so scared of Mansour, who has been behind bars for the past four years, which they treat his family members like this, even though he has been paying the price for his labour activism.

Rooz: Do you know which organ or agency was responsible for this incident?

Osanloo: No, they blindfolded her. She doesn�t know where she was taken and we don�t know who took her.

Rooz: What specific demand did they have of Mrs. Zoya Samadi?

Osanloo: They asked her to sign a statement guaranteeing that Mr. Osanloo would not continue his activism after his release and would leave the country with his family!

Rooz: How is Mrs. Samadi dealing with this physically and emotionally?

Osanloo: Unfortunately she has been hurt a lot. She�s still in shock. She hasn�t regained her mental composure yet. Aside from bleeding from the nose and the mouth, and injuries to her mouth, my daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and we didn�t know. After the attack she was bleeding heavily, and when we looked into it, it turned out that she was two months pregnant. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage.

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Sample protest letter (Updated June 27, 2010)

Please use all or any part of this sample protest letter

Support campaign for freedom of labour activists!

Free Tehran Bus Workers' Leaders Now!

Free all jailed labour activists now!

I (we) am (are) writing this to demand an immediate freedom of all imprisoned representatives and members of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company and all other labour activists currently incarcerated in different prisons in Iran.

I (we) also strongly denounce the kidnapping and torture of Mr. Mansour Osanloo�s daughter-in-law. As the result of this gruesome act, Ms. Zoya Samadi suffered a miscarriage as she was pregnant at the time.

As of this time, four leaders and elected representatives of Vahed Syndicate are in prison. Mansour Osanloo, Syndicate's president of the board of directors (serving five year jail sentence since 2007, Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President (serving 3.5 year jail sentence since late 2007); Saeed Torabian, Public Relations director (arrested and detained since June 9, 2010, and Reza Shahabi, Treasurer (arrested on June 12, 2010).

Mr. Osanloo has been subject to harassment and threats of new charges by prison officials. While in prison, Mr. Osanloo has recently been interrogated and accused of relationship with opposition groups as well as insulting leaders of the Islamic Republic. These allegations have been denied by Osanloo.

In addition, there are many other labour activists in prisons and persecuted. Asad Moloudzadeh, Behnam Alizadeh, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, Alireza Akhavan and Pejman Rahimi, all labour activists, have been arrested and charged or jailed for their labour activities in recent weeks.

I (we) demands immediate and unconditional freedom of all these labour activists. I (we) condemn this new round of attack against Tehran bus workers' union and the continuous gross attacks on human and workers� rights in Iran.

Name:

Organization:

Position:

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