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July 2, 2010

The ITUC and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have written to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisting that the authorities fulfill their promise to release imprisoned trade unionist Mansour Osanloo, and calling on them to free all the other 52 trade unionists imprisoned in the country due to their activities in defence of workers’ rights.

Evidence of Iran’s assurance to release Osanloo is contained in a report of the International Labour Organisation’s Committee on Freedom of Association, to which the ITF and ITUC have formally complained about the case. A report from the Committee states that “the (ILO) Committee welcomes the efforts by the (Iranian) Minister of Labour and Social Affairs to obtain the granting of a pardon for Mr. Osanloo. Noting further that the Head of the Judiciary has accepted the Minister’s request for such a pardon, the Committee expects that these developments will lead to Mr. Osanloo’s imminent release from prison.”

“The authorities must keep their promise to pardon and release Mansour Osanloo, and free the other 52 trade unionists who are being kept in prison in flagrant violation of fundamental rights enshrined in ILO Conventions. Only then can the government begin to redress Iran’s appalling record of violating fundamental workers’ rights,” said newly-elected ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

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