Brussels, 29 November 2007: Yet another independent
Iranian trade union leader, Reza Dehghan, member of the Founding
Committee of Painters Union (Syndica Nagash) was arrested on 18 November
2007. He is now detained in Evin Prison. The ITUC suspects that it is
linked to his trade union activities and his vocal support of Mr.
Osanloo.

The ITUC and the BWI wrote a letter to the
authorities to urge the President to order the immediate and
unconditional release of Reza Dehghan and all other imprisoned trade
unionists, including Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi.
Mansour Osanloo, the President of the Syndica of Workers of Tehran and
Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) has had his five-year prison term
confirmed by the Tehran Court of Appeal without a proper trial. He has
now been detained in the notorious Evin prison in Teheran since July
this year, despite his poor health condition.

In a worrying development, the lawyers of Mansour Osanloo and his fellow
activists from the Syndica Sherkat-e Vahed have tendered their
resignation to the Court on 27 November. The ITUC has not been informed
of any tension between the Syndica and their lawyers and fears that they
might have been subjected to outside pressure. The ITUC and the ITF have
now asked the ILO to intervene with the government to ensure that all
Syndica defendants enjoy the full right to legal representation.

Judicial persecution of the Syndica activists is continuing unabated and
Ebrahim Madadi, member of the executive board of Syndica Sherkate-Vahed,
was convicted on 30 October 2007, and has been detained since 9 August
2007. During his prison stay his health has seriously deteriorated,
furthermore he is held in Ghezal Hesar prison, Karaj south of Theran,
amongst hardened criminals and drug addicts as a means of moral and
psychological pressure. The ITUC and the ITF have today submitted
additional information to a longstanding complaint with the ILO
Committee on Freedom of Association against the government of Iran
concerning all these issues. The ITUC strongly condemns the government
of Iran for its continuing repression of fundamental labour rights.

"Legal representation is a fundamental human right" said Guy Ryder,
General Secretary of the ITUC. "The government of Iran must do all in
its power to ensure that all trade unionists have the possibility to
freely choose independent legal council in the face of legal
persecution". "It is time that Government starts respecting the
fundamental right of workers" he concluded.

For more information:
Letter to the ILO

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories
and has 305 national affiliates.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2
224 0204 or +32 476 621 018.