Saturday, 13 March 2010 13:56
March 13, 2010
LONDON, — Delegates have pledged their support for prominent Kurdish politician Leyla Zana - facing imprisonment in Turkey for expressing her views on the question of Kurdish independence.
Ms Zana, who became the first Kurdish woman elected to the Turkish parliament in 1991, has already spent 10 years in prison for speaking Kurdish in the Turkish parliament.
She now faces another 10 years imprisonment under Turkey's anti-terror laws because of speeches, including one made at London's Soas university in May 2008.
UCU delegate and conference chairwoman Mary Davis warned that Ms Zana was in immediate danger of being locked up as her lawyer and the entire membership of her pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party were already in prison.
Moving the motion, she said: "There are now no vehicles for the oppressed Kurdish population to express themselves in Turkey's political structures.
"Ms Zana is not allowed out of Turkey and, without her lawyer, she will be back in prison unless we raise awareness about her case and pressure MPs and MEPs to take action on her behalf."
