Turquía - Judicial harassment of trade unions (2010)

2009 saw a dramatic increase of trials aimed at curtailing trade unions, a trend which started earlier but seems to be steadily on the rise. There is a basic pattern, with unionists being treated roughly, or even mistreated, following their arrest, after which the authorities invoke some legal clause to keep the cases «confidential», so the defence lawyers have no access to their clients’ files, sometimes for more than one month. The accusations are generally related to some form of «terrorist activity», and the trials are usually marked by a lack of compliance with both national and European legal requirements.