Support for jail victims
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by Eugene Silke • Pressure for action to help truck drivers wrongly imprisoned abroad is finally mounting, following new moves by several powerful political groups.
• EU trade commissioner Sir Leon Brittan is being urged to back a European code of practice to protect drivers' rights. Truck drivers should not be held responsible for drugs found in a load unless there is evidence that they put them there, Welsh MP Cynog Dafis told Sir Leon (CM 16-22 June).
Dafis also believes that trade is being restrained by the "deeply unjust and illogical" treatment of UK truck drivers by the French and Spanish authorities. He has written to the Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd criticising the "complacent attitude of his department": Dafis demands urgent attention for the plight of truck drivers jailed abroad.
• Truck drivers arrested on the Continent will be able to get help from the Fair Trials Abroad trust which is setting up a network of bilingual lawyers across Europe. The United Road Transport is sponsoring the trust: URTU members will be offered free legal and practical support. Non-members will be advised to contact Fair Trials Abroad. Trust lawyer Stephen Jakobi says the service, including a hotline, will be open to all EU drivers and its volunteer lawyers will charge according to what drivers can afford.
• Emergency resolutions on the problem will be put to the International Transport Federation congress in Geneva next month. The resolutions are backed by the URTU, and a TUC fringe meeting will highlight the issue.