As promised please find
attached pictures taken
outside the Houses of
Parliament, London. We
will have photos of the
demonstration outside
the Iranian Embassy here
later today and I will
also send some of these.
Updates on events around
the world are being
posted at
http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/osanloo-action.cfm
Two pieces of news that
may be of interest are
that both The British
Foreign and Commonwealth
Office and the
Australian Minister for
Foreign Affaris have
released statements
protesting against the
detention of Mansour
Osanloo (see below).
The photos show the
following people in
front of the Houses of
Parliament:
Clive Betts MP (Member
of Parliament),
Secretary of the UK Iran
Parliamentary Group
Stuart Howard, ITF
Assistant General
Secretary
Jeremy Dear, NUJ General
Secretary
Owen Tudor, TUC
Interantional Secretary
Keith Sonnet, Unison
Deputy General Secretary
Andy Reed Aslef National
Organiser
Gary Fabian, Aslef
Senior Policy and
International Adviser
From the British Foreign
and Commonwealth Office
PRESS RELEASE: 6 MARCH
2008
DR HOWELLS CALLS FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF
DETAINED TRADE UNIONISTS
IN IRAN
Foreign
Office Minister Dr Kim
Howells has welcomed the
ITUC/ITF global day of
action in support of
Iranian workers and
trade unionists today.
Dr Howells said:
‘We share
the international
concerns about the
growing repression and
severity of action taken
against labour rights
activists who work
tirelessly to defend the
rights of workers in
Iran.
‘We call
on the government of
Iran to release
immediately Mansour
Ossanlou and Mahmoud
Salehi. They have been
imprisoned for several
months for their
involvement in peaceful
activities in support of
workers’ rights in Iran.
This is a clear
violation of their right
to freedom of expression
and association.
‘We
urge Iran to respect
fully the right to form
or join trade unions, in
accordance with its
commitments as a member
of the International
Labour Organisation and
the international human
rights conventions it
has ratified.’
FCO Press Office: 020
7008 3100
Please find attached
a statement from
Stephen Smith,
Minister for Foreign
Affairs, in relation
to the arrest of
Mansour Ossanloo.
Best wishes for the
success of the rally.
Regards
Andrew Dempster
+ + +
Arrest of Mansour
Ossanloo
The Australian
Government, through
our Embassy in
Tehran, has
protested the arrest
and detention of
Mansour Ossanloo,
the head of a bus
driver's union in
Iran.
Mr Ossanloo was
arrested on charges
of “acting against
national security”
and “issuing
propaganda against
the system”.
The Australian
Government is fully
committed to the
core international
labour standards
enshrined in the
International Labour
Organisation's 1998
Declaration on
Fundamental
Principles and
Rights at Work.
The Declaration
includes the freedom
of association and
the right to
collective
bargaining.
The Australian
Government will
continue to call
upon the Iranian
Government to
respect and uphold
human rights.