jailed drivers
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EXCLUSIVE
by Juliet Morrison • More than 150 truckers are threatening to march on Parliament next month to draw attention to the plight of British truck drivers jailed abroad for alleged drug running.
One of the pro testers, Phil Cornish, the administrator at pressure group Fair Trials Abroad, says up to 47 UK lorry drivers are in prison overseas convicted of or facing trial for narcotics smuggling. About half of them have not had a trial so far and Cornish believes as many as 20 are innocent as charged. The prison conditions can be appalling and the drivers get few if any visits from their families.
Cornish says so far lobbying of MPs has failed to achieve the three things drivers want: British drivers to be treated as nationals if they are arrested abroad. Cornish says if a national driver is released on bail, there is no reason why a non-national should not be given bail if he is charged with the same offence. And if the non-national does not return for trial to the country where he was charged, he should be arrested and sent back to the country.
71 A pledge that British customs, police and other authorities will send paperwork to overseas courts within three weeks of a court's request. Cornish knows of cases where paperwork has taken nine months to arrive.
Drivers to be treated as postmen. Unlike truck drivers, postmen are responsible for the safety of the load and not its contents, says Cornish.
Contact Fair Trials Abroad on 081-607 9097.