Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body - Report No 323, November 2000

Effect given to the recommendations of the Committee and the Governing Body

1. 51. At its meeting of May-June 2000, the Committee had once again requested the Government to keep it informed of developments concerning this case, and in particular the fate of the trade union leaders Abderamane Abdou Saïd, Mad Ali and Mjomba Moussa [see 321st Report, para. 94].
2. 52. In a communication of 25 May 2000, the Government states that these three leaders were released at the same time as their colleagues after having been heard by the judicial authorities. The Government points out that these trade union leaders were never imprisoned, but only held in custody for questioning. Since no charges were brought against them, they were released.
3. 53. The Committee takes note of this information. Recalling that the arrest, even if only briefly, of trade union leaders and trade unionists for exercising legitimate trade union activities constitutes a violation of the principles of freedom of association [see Digest of decisions and principles of the Freedom of Association Committee, 4th edition, 1996, para. 70], the Committee trusts that the authorities of the Comoros will abstain in future from taking similar measures.