Said Elhairech update
News Release
International Transport Federation (ITF)
August 31, 2012
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<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US>Moroccan union leader
Said Elhairech asserted his innocence yesterday in a five hourhearing before an
investigating judge in Rabat. He also made an initial application for bail. A
second bail request is scheduled for Thursday 30 August.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri Italic'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US></SPAN></P>
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<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US>Said Elhairech, who is
general secretary of the ITF-affiliated Moroccan Ports Union, part of the UMT
(Union des Syndicats UMT des Transports), and chair of the ITF Arab World
regional committee, was arrested on 16 June on charges of ‘sabotage and
endangering national security’. He has consistently rejected the accusations and
is backed by the ITF, which believes that he has been wholly wrongly charged
following his very effective work on behalf of ships’ crews stranded by the
cessation of operations of the Comarit-Comanav ferry company, which he undertook
at the ITF’s request. The ITF unequivocally supports Said in his fight for
justice, and has mobilised international solidarity for him; taken its concerns
to the Moroccan authorities, government and embassies worldwide; provided
testimony and witnesses; and employed a lawyer to defend Said. </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri Italic'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-US></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
<META content="text/html; charset=unicode" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19298"></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US>Moroccan union leader
Said Elhairech asserted his innocence yesterday in a five hourhearing before an
investigating judge in Rabat. He also made an initial application for bail. A
second bail request is scheduled for Thursday 30 August.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri Italic'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri Italic'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-US></SPAN> </P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11pt" lang=EN-US>Said Elhairech, who is
general secretary of the ITF-affiliated Moroccan Ports Union, part of the UMT
(Union des Syndicats UMT des Transports), and chair of the ITF Arab World
regional committee, was arrested on 16 June on charges of ‘sabotage and
endangering national security’. He has consistently rejected the accusations and
is backed by the ITF, which believes that he has been wholly wrongly charged
following his very effective work on behalf of ships’ crews stranded by the
cessation of operations of the Comarit-Comanav ferry company, which he undertook
at the ITF’s request. The ITF unequivocally supports Said in his fight for
justice, and has mobilised international solidarity for him; taken its concerns
to the Moroccan authorities, government and embassies worldwide; provided
testimony and witnesses; and employed a lawyer to defend Said. </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri Italic'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-US></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>