Not everybody is enjoying the holiday weekend. It is the measure of a any society when those who struggle to improve the conditions of the ordinary people are victimised hounded and imprisoned. It is these cases that make it glaringly obvious on which side the powers that be stand, it is a display of their real intentions. An appeal from Labour Start.
It's a long holiday weekend for many of us, a chance to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends. I hesitate to write to you, to interrupt the festivities, but this is urgent.
A week ago, the leader of the metal workers union of Kosovo, Hasan Abazi, was travelling to a meeting of European trade unionists in Zagreb, but on his way was arrested by the Serbian government. He was held for 50 hours without even the chance to talk to a lawyer. Now, he's being held in solitary confinement.
Serbia has committed itself to allow free movement of Kosovars through its territory. That's part of what it needs to do to become a full member of the European Union.
The International Metalworkers' Federation has issued an urgent appeal for his release. [*]
Amnesty International has condemned the arrest. [**]
Please take a moment to send off a message of protest to the Serbian authorities:
Then, please publicize this to your friends, workmates and fellow union members by email, Twitter, Facebook, and word-of-mouth. If we can flood the inboxes of Serbian government ministers this weekend with our protest messages, they might be compelled to re-think this outrageous arrest and to let Hasan go. They don't want to risk Serbian membership in the EU -- a point we mention in the message to them.
Thank you -- and a very happy Easter and Passover to all of you.
Eric Lee
