Iran: Kidnapping and torture of Mansour Osnaloo's daughter-in-law by agents of Intelligence Ministry

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Monday June 28, 2010 13:52 by IASWI - International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

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 2nd 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 14th 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.

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.

More details and further background is available at the linl below. Please use the sample letter to make a protest.

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:

Send your protest letters to:

info@leader.ir, info@judiciary.ir, dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir; iran@un.int; ijpr@iranjudiciary.org, info@dadiran.ir, office@justice.ir, support@irimlsa.ir; info@bus.tehran.ir;

Send Copy of your Protest Letters to:

CC: info@workers-iran.org; wkgroup@ilo.org; eastgulf@amnesty.org

You may also send protest letters to:

The embassy of the Islamic Republic of iran,
72 Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
iranembassy@indigo.ie
Tel: 01 288 5881 / 01 288 0252. Fax: 01 283 4246.