Jailed labor leader kept with drug addicts and prisoners with contagious diseases; prisoners beaten to make false confessions

Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran

According to reports, a few days before the Fire Festival (May 16) threats and pressures against political prisoners and ordinary prisoners in section 4 of Gohardasht Prison severely increased which led to the transfer of Mansour Osalu to section 5 of this prison and the brutal torture of seven other prisoners.

On Sunday March 14, Mr. Osalu, the head of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company Union was unexpectedly summoned by the head of the Protection and Intelligence Department of this prison. Officials intended to transfer him to a solitary cell in section 5 on the false charge that he intended to hold the Fire Festival in prison. But because all the solitary cells in this section were full, he was taken to the public cell of this section which is known as the 'methadone ward' alongside prisoners with severe addictions and contagious diseases. Prisoners in this section have no security. One of the prisoners in this section is the head of a mafia and is known for dealing drugs in prison and physically eliminating prisoners. He acts on orders of the prisoner officials, Ali Mohammadi, Kermani and Faraji. This person does whatever he is told for money. Officials told Osalu yesterday that he will stay in section 5 from now on. Osalu's life is in serious danger and this is a cause for concern for other prisoners.

On Sunday, simultaneous with the transfer of Osalu to section 5, four prisoners in hall 14 of section 4 were summoned to the Protection and Intelligence Department and were brutally tortured for a long time with electric clubs. They were told to confess against Osalu and say that he intended to burn blankets for the Fire Festival. These defenseless prisoners, whose bodies were severely bruised, were not willing to confess to such lies. In another attempt on Monday March 15, three other prisoners including Mr. Shahriari were summoned to the Protection and Intelligence Department. They were also severely tortured with electric clubs. They were told to confess to collaborating with Osalu to hold Fire Festival celebrations in prison.