Turquía - Public sector union KESK on trial (2010)

On 19-20 November, the trial against 31 leaders and members of KESK, the national public sector workers’ union, was held with a delegation of representatives from international and European trade unions and Global Union Federations in attendance. Twenty-two of the 31 had been detained for nearly six months. Before the submission of the indictment, on 31 July, the defence lawyers had not had access to their files.
The KESK members were officially tried on the charge of having established a terrorist organisation, though it is clear that it was really owing to their union activities. The accusations were all written up after police had tapped the phones of 36 KESK members and leaders, who had been arrested on 28 May.
The only evidence against the KESK members stemmed from their recorded telephone conversations and their e-mail exchanges. During the trial itself, the rights of the defence were constantly violated, with the president of the court himself conducting the interrogations, the defence lawyers being prevented from speaking to the defendants, and only one female guard being present although ten women were standing trial.

The court ruled that all the detainees should be freed, but must reappear in court in March 2010.

© ITUC-CSI-IGB 2013 | www.ituc-csi.org | Contact Design by Pixeleyes.be - maps: jVectorMap