IRISL vessels in political spotlight

Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line vessels are to be visited by the International Transport Workers' Federation as part of a campaign to free an imprisoned trade union leader that will be promoted in a worldwide day of action.

The ITF says it will include IRISL ships because they are ''de facto'' owned by the Iranian state. At the same time, the company has been named in a UN Security Council statement on sanctions over Iran's nuclear policies. An ITF statement says: ''A mass of protests are taking place in 41 countries on 6 March in support of Mansour Osanloo, 48, the elected leader of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, a trade union founded three years ago. Even though the organization is free, democratic and legal it has been violently attacked by Iranian security forces. As a result of his work Osanloo has been beaten, arrested and had his tongue sliced as a warning against speaking out. The ITF says that it has led the campaign to support and free Osanloo and the ship visits are the latest way it is using to communicate its message to the Iranian Government. These ship visits are one more tactic in a raft of protests intended to make the Iranian government see sense and stop punishing this man for merely asking for his rights.'' Meanwhile in the latest step in the row over Iran's nuclear program the Security Council has issued a statement that instructing that ''states should inspect cargo to and from Iran of aircraft and vessels owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line if they are transporting goods prohibited by UN resolutions''.

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