IFTU Press Release: Friday , 18 February 2005
Another Iraqi trade unionist kidnapped: MOAID HAMED (General Secretary, IFTU Mosul Branch)
The Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) reports that Mr. Moaid Hamed, General Secretary of the IFTU Mosul Branch, has been kidnapped on 11 February 2005 in Mosul.
On 11 February 2005, Mr Moaid Hamed was leaving his home in Mosul on union business when gunmen attacked him and kidnapped him, taking him to an unknown location.
In a previous incident, terrorists and Saddam's loyalists working together had kidnapped Saady Edan, the president of the IFTU in Mosul on 26 January and held him prisoner for a week in a unknown location where he was tortured severely and before his release on 1 February 2005 was told to stop working and organizing for the IFTU otherwise he would be killed next.
The IFTU office in Mosul received many threats and intimidation from forces loyal to Saddam and his yellow union the discredited GFTU.
The IFTU media and information office calls upon the international labour movement to demand the immediate release of Mr Moaid Hamed .
With the help of our international labour movement colleagues, the IFTU will continue to campaign to end terrorism against those brave patriotic working class fighters who are striving to organise Iraqi workers into free trade and demcratic unions.
Further information will be made available about the condition of Mr. Moaid Hamed and the circumstances of his kidnapping.
For further information contact Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU): c/o UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ. Tel’: 00 44 79 76 84 68 68 Posted by garykent at February 18, 2005 11:41 PM
Also watching the television broadcast of the worker-communist party of iran http://www.anternasional.tv/english-f/mnaugust1604.wmv , the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan arrested two wcpi cadre recently. -- Michael Pugliese