1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160 
Free innocent truck drivers
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
P Pressure group Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) has launched a major campaign to help free British truck drivers languishing in foreign jails for crimes they did not commit.
Following the release of driver Steve Bryant from a Moroccan prison after nine years (CM15-21 May), ETA is pushing for talks with practitioners, lawyers and judges abroad to discuss why the law is failing so many people. ETA will also work closely with MEPs in order to highlight its concerns.
The organisation's director. Stephen Jakobi, says FTA's muscle on the European scene will force foreign governments to sit up and listen: "This is an industrial campaigning policy, telling people about the truckers' plight and getting institutions to do something about it."
Diane O'Connor wholeheartedly backs the campaign. Her brother's truck was stopped and searched near Lille last year after picking up a groupage load in Barcelona. The load contained sokg of cocaine. He has now been sentenced to six years' imprisonment.
"I'm continuously thinking about my brother and the fact he's not guilty," says O'Connor. "He's locked up 22 hours a day and he's finding it very hard to cope."
Another driver, Stuart Guy, faces a similar plight. He was unknowingly carrying 67kg of marijuana in his truck when he was stopped at Calais in January. He is awaiting trial. "His mum had terminal cancer and passed away," says his common law wife, Michelle. "I had to go to France and tell him. He used to be strong and big, he's not any longer, he's crumbling."
• See our special report on pages 12-3.