Channel Four’s strange decision

Channel 4 likes to shock, but their decision that President Ahmadinejad of Iran – a regime that that both locks and beats up trade unionists -was a suitable person for their alternative Christmas broadcast was wrong.
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Filed under: Human rights














As predicted on the TUC Stronger Unions blog (http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/12/this-christmas-theres-a-teacher-trade-unionist-facing-a-death-sentence/), President Ahmadinejad’s regime is using this holiday season – as so often before – to crack down on trade unionists when it thinks no one is watching. On 22 December, writers’ union activist Mohsen Hakimi was arrested (see TUC protest at http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-15789-f0.cfm), and on 27 December, bus workers’ leader Ebrahim Madadi was also arrested (see protest at http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-15790-f0.cfm). As Channel 4 commissioning editors tuck into their Christmas turkey, those unlucky enough to live under the person they chose to deliver their Christmas message are languishing in jail. I hope Channel 4 excutives choke on their festive food and drink.
I agree with you, Nigel
you may know that the Iranian authorities arrested a bus union leader, Ebrahim Madadi today in Tehran. He is the third person in two weeks that is detained by the secret police.
http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/freeosanloo.cfm
Surely Channel 4 must report this new wave of oppression towards the independent workers’ movement in Iran!
Also big thanks to the TUC for protesting to these events very shiftly during the holiday season.
Well done, Nigel. It shouldn’t only be the Jewish community and a handful of human rights activists making noise about this. Glad to hear a trade union voice as well.
[...] colleague Nigel Stanley, writing on the TUC Touchstone blog, described their decision to do so as wrong, and an Iranian blogger was [...]