Turquía - Thirteen trade union leaders arrested (2010)

On 7 December, almost the entire Executive Committee as well as some local branch office presidents of Nakliyat-Is, a trade union organising transport workers (predominantly those employed by subcontractors) affiliated to DISK, were arrested and detained. Nakliyat-Is is one of the larger and more visible affiliates of DISK. The union headquarters were also raided. Upon arresting them, the police searched their houses as well as union premises in the cities of Istanbul, Konya and Gebze. They were subsequently charged with «organising a crime syndicate in order to generate financial profit». The defense lawyers had no access to their clients’ files.