Tehran, Iran, Feb. 28 – Close to a hundred bus drivers and conductors, who have been released recently from Evin Prison after being locked up for taking part in union protests, gathered on Monday outside the Tehran Bus Company headquarters to protest against the government’s handling of their case.
Iranian authorities launched a heavy crackdown on the transit workers late last month, arresting large numbers of bus drivers who had decided to go on strike. Earlier this month, a dissident worker told Iran Focus that agents of IranÂ’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), the countryÂ’s secret police, had been conducting night raids into the homes of striking bus drivers and workers in Tehran, arresting more than a thousand people on political charges.
During MondayÂ’s protest by the recently released bus drivers, they demanded that the government clarify their position and reinstate them to their previous posts. Many of the unionÂ’s members are believed to still be behind bars. Four union activists had to appear in court on Monday. |