Turkey: More than 100 public sector unionists arrested (E action)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1742

Police raids have targeted members and leaders of public sector union KESK in the early morning of Tuesday 19 February. This new attack against the Turkish trade union movement, carried out by the authorities in 28 cities across the country, resulted in the arrest of at least 100 unionists, including many members of teachers' union Egitim Sen. In total, 167 arrest warrants had been issued for alleged links with terrorist organisations. In the meantime, 58 of the arrested unionists have been detained, while the rest of them have been released. This is not the first time that the Turkish authorities have used anti-terrorism laws to crack down on trade unionists. On 10 April, the Ankara 13th Heavy Criminal Court will start the trial against 72 other KESK members and leaders who were arrested on 25 June 2012. In 2012, the European Commission expressed concerns as regards the Turkish criminal justice system, and in particular regarding the limited access to the prosecution file, the failure to give detailed grounds for arrest and detention decisions, and the length of pretrial detention. The Commission deplored the "wide application of the legal framework on terrorism and organised crime, which leads to recurring infringements (of fundamental rights)". We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all the arrested union members; and urge the authorities to stop harassing and labeling trade unionists as terrorists. Turkish unionists need your support!

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