Kosovo - Trade union leader arrested (2013)

Hasan Abazi, President of the SPMK Industrial Union, was arrested on 28 March 2012 in Southern Serbia while travelling to Zagreb to attend a meeting of three European trade union federations. He was held illegally in police custody for more than two days, without a warrant for his arrest and without access to a lawyer. Mr Abazi spent more than 50 hours in illegal detention before being brought before the Trial Chamber of the High Court in Vranje, which subsequently ruled that he be held in custody for a further 30 days. After 28 days in imprisonment, he was released on 20 April 2012 on bail of € 20,000.