Mansour Osnaloo’s family called for in investigation into the beating of the family’s young daughter-in-law. In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Mansour Osanloo’s wife said, “My daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and we didn’t know. After the attack she was bleeding heavily, and when we looked into it, it turned out that she was two months pregnant. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage.”
Parvaneh Osanloo also told Rooz, “What happened to my daughter-in-law was a warning sign for all of us. I ask all international human rights organizations to help us and not allow for things like this to happen anywhere in the world. I announce right now that the Islamic Republic officials are responsible if any member of my family’s life is in danger or anything happens to us.”
Mansour Osanloo is the president of Iran’s bus drivers’ union and one of the country’s most prominent labor activists. He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on national security-related charges.
As Mr. Osanloo is serving the fourth year of his sentence, his young daughter-in-law was arrested, harassed and beaten at an undisclosed location, and released after being threatened not to speak about the incident, according to Mr. Osanloo’s family.
While Islamic Republic’s judicial and intelligence officials have remained silent about the incident, Parvaneh Osanloo told Rooz that her family does not feel safe and the Islamic Republic’s officials are responsible if any member of Mr. Osanloo’s family is harmed.
Rooz: Why do you think your daughter-in-law was targeted?
Parvaneh Osanloo (Osanloo): They just want to intimidate and terrorize our family. They want to put Mr. Osanloo under pressure.
Rooz: Mr. Osanloo is already behind bars, why should be he pressured more?
Osanloo: The gentlemen should answer that question. They are so scared of Mansour, who has been behind bars for the past four years, that they treat his family members like this, even though he has been paying the price for his labor activism.
Rooz: Do you know which organ or agency was responsible for this incident?
Osanloo: No, they blindfolded her. She doesn’t know where she was taken and we don’t know who took her.
Rooz: What specific demand did they have of Mrs. Zoya Samadi?
Osanloo: They asked her to sign a statement guaranteeing that Mr. Osanloo would not continue his activism after his release and would leave the country with his family!
Rooz: How is Mrs. Samadi dealing with this physically and emotionally?
Osanloo: Unfortunately she has been hurt a lot. She’s still in shock. She hasn’t regained her mental composure yet. Aside from bleeding from the nose and the mouth, and injuries to her mouth, my daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and we didn’t know. After the attack she was bleeding heavily, and when we looked into it, it turned out that she was two months pregnant. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage.
