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Public workers of the world call for immediate release of detained Korean unionist Han Sang-gyun!

November 20, 2017
PSI is calling on all affiliates to sign the petition calling for the imprisoned leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Han Sang-gyun's immediate release.

PSI calls for the immediate release of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions President Han Sang-gyun, who is currently imprisoned, having received a three-year sentence for organising a mass people’s mobilisation aimed at stopping regressive labour law reforms and calling for the resignation of the anti-worker undemocratic Park Geun-hye government.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found that President Han’s imprisonment goes against international human rights standards and recommended to the South Korean government that President Han be released immediately. Creating the ‘society that respects workers’ promised by South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-in requires releasing President Han. The ILO has also called on the government to release Sang-Gyun.

PSI is calling on all affiliates to sign the petition calling for Han Sang-gyun's immediate release.
 

Dear President Moon Jae-In,

We are writing to you to ask you for the immediate release of KCTU President Han Sang-Gyun.

President Han has now been imprisoned for nearly two years simply for exercising his democratic right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.

In exercising these rights, Han was calling attention to proposed polices that would have made work less secure and wages lower for millions of South Korean workers.

As the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has noted, President’s Han’s deprivation of liberty is arbitrary because it results from the exercise of these rights. They have called for his immediate release and compensation.

The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association has also called for the South Korean Government to “take any measures in its power for the release of Mr. Han”.

Mr. President, we know that you have expressed a deep commitment to human and worker rights.

We therefore ask you to take action now and use your authority to immediately pardon and release Han so he can spend Christmas with his family, before continuing his work defending workers’ rights across South Korea.

Sincerely,


Sign the petition on PSI's new People over Profit Platform

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