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Date Posted: 21:52:51 02/19/01 Mon
Author: Lynette
Subject: Re: Rick Hudson, abandoned trucker
In reply to: Russ Hamer 's message, "Rick Hudson, abandoned trucker" on 20:18:10 08/06/00 Sun

>Rick Hudson has been in Macedonian prison now for just
>over a year. He was a trucker
>delivering supplies for NATO forces in the Balkans. He
>was accused, tried and convicted
>of causing death by dangerous driving after a speeding
>car lost control and crashed on
>the opposite carriageway sadly killing the driver and
>one passenger. Three others were
>injured. Rick, with other truckers and motorists, had
>stopped to help after the accident.
>Rick was arrested because he was sporting NATO badges
>on his truck!
>There is more to this, of course, and have every
>sympathy with the bereaved of the
>speeding driver and passenger but in court vital
>evidence was suppressed or ignored.
>Three Croatian tanker drivers were not called or their
>eye witness evidence not heard.
>A taccograph from several hours before during Rick's
>passage through Greece was used
>in evidence instead of the correct record.
>The engineers report that proved that the crashed
>vehicle has been travelling in excess
>of 100 mph, before it began its 65 meter skid and 35
>meter roll still hitting a vehicle
>behind Rick's at over 30 mph, was brushed aside.
>A plan of the accident shows Rick's truck in an
>inaccurate and impossible road position
>that would be laughable in other circumstances.
>No contact was made between Rick's vehicle and the
>crashed car.
>No blood test, a legal requirement, was made of the
>dead driver.
>The car was not tested for road worthiness.
>Rick had been signed into the country by a border
>guard bearing a type of insurance
>green card that had shortly before been invalidated by
>the Macedonian government.
>
>Much of this information did not become available
>until long after Rick's swift conviction
>and incarceration and despite appeals he remains in
>prison. NATO have abandoned him
>and politicians, however well intentioned, seem unable
>to help.
>In January this year Rick was moved to Skopje jail and
>reports appeared in the local
>press that he was a soldier working for KFOR
>responsible for the death of two
>Macedonians! For a while his life was in real danger
>from inmates and it was only the
>protective friendship he struck with four Indian
>prisoners, his obvious genteel and open
>nature and his faith that prevented him from ending up
>with a knife in his back. (They
>have their own cutlery!)
>Rick is such a gentleman that his name was actually
>top of a list produced by the prison
>governor recommended to the president of Macedonia
>for early release in an amnesty
>granted each August in that country. His name was
>deleted last week by committee
>before it reached the president.
>Shortly before that a claim by relatives of the
>deceased and injured, thwart again with
>inaccuracies, was upheld in a civil court. Presumably
>that was why Rick's name was
>withdrawn from the release list. Which is a shame
>because he has no chance of ever
>paying the £111,600.00 demanded as he apparently
>should never, like hundreds, perhaps
>thousands of other truckers, been allowed through the
>country with that invalid
>insurance card. His company cannot pay, NATO do not
>want to know and he has lost
>everything, including his home, in legal costs.
>His parents, sister and friends have worked hard to
>bring this despicable travesty of
>justice to the attention of those with power. Progress
>is being made but too slowly,
>especially in the light of recent developments in the
>area that could once again place
>Rick in danger. Not that he is living in the lap of
>luxury with 691 fleas to share his
>blanket, his 10 meter square cell and the food that is
>brought in for him.
>A fund raising event has been organised for the 25th
>August at "The Spot" in his home
>town of Derby, England. Two great bands, Burdock and
>DIP, are performing free of
>charge, substantial raffle prizes have been donated,
>notables such as Philip Whitehead,
>MEP, will give up their time to attend and update us.
>We expect but still pray for media
>coverage. Support is growing but more is needed.
>The trouble is that it is not sympathy that is
>required. Or people to assume that as a
>trucker he must be guilt of smuggling illegal
>immigrants or drugs. Rick needs people to
>know what really happened to him, tell others, write
>him a letter, send him food, books
>or insect repellent, come to the event in Derby, write
>to their MP, write to their
>newspaper, make a donation, and ask NATO, the European
>Courts of Justice, Human
>Rights organisations, the British FO and the
>Macedonian government why this innocent
>man has had his life ruined.
>If you can just do one of these things you will have
>helped. If you do them all, and more
>you will begin to get a bruise on your forehead off
>that wall. If many do it perhaps the
>wall will crack. Justice may prevail and we will get
>Rick back.
>Please help.
>Rick's address....
>Richard Owen Hudson G.B.
>K P D
>Idrizavo
>Skopje
>Republic of Macedonia
>
>The appeal fund....
>Mr. and Mrs G Hudson
>52, Hillside,
>Findern,
>Derby DE65 6AW
>or
>Barclays Bank Derby
>Sort Code 202585
>Account No. 90279196
>
>Homepage, out of date, no time, perhaps you can help
>here...?
>http://:www.geocities.com/carpetsquare/
>
>Or call me for more information, or ways to assist,
>on..
>+44(0)1332 384150 daytime
>07774 619678 Mobile
>Russ@carpetsquare.demon.co.uk
I am an American who is appalled at this but it doesn't surprise me. We have had citizens screwed in foreign countries. I wish you and that poor man all the luck in the world. It's our governments that sit on their asses.

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