Osanloo kidnapped from Tehran bus

Mansour Osanloo spoke recently at the ITF Headquarters in London

The ITF has received word from our affiliate that Mansour Osanloo was kidnapped on 10th July in Tehran by unknown persons at approximately 7pm local time.

Mansour Osanloo, President of the ITF-affiliated bus workers’ union, Sandikaye Kargarane Sherkate Vahed (Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company), was being followed all day by an unmarked Peugeot car.


While on his way home, Osanloo was getting off a bus, when he was assaulted by the unidentified kidnappers, who yelled at the passengers to stay away and called him a 'hoodlum and a thug'. They then forced him into the unmarked Peugeot which then drove away.


The witnesses on the bus stated that he was beaten severely, and his attackers continued to beat him even after they had stuffed him into the metallic grey Peugeot. Given the past history of Osanloo's treatment by the security forces there is strong reason to believe that some part of the Iranian authorities was responsible for this attack but the local police station, to which his family turned, refused to confirm or deny that the police were involved.


David Cockroft, General Secretary of the ITF, reacted strongly to news of Osanloo's kidnapping, "On behalf of its five million transport workers affiliated to the ITF, we condemn this cowardly act. We demand an immediate and unconditional release of Mansour Osanloo.



ITF affiliates and the global trade union leaders who met him at the recent ITUC General Council meeting in Brussels, and the International Labour Organisation will all protest against this blatant violation of human and trade union rights and will take whatever action is necessary to secure the immediate release of Mansour Osanloo".