We are the mothers, you are the killer!

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uesday, May 25 2010

Saturday Mothers were on Galatasaray Square for 269th time and addressed the AKP administration; “We are the mothers of guerilla, soldier and miner who had been killed, you are the killer.”
Hanife Yildiz, a mother of one of the missing, made a speech at the meeting, blamed the government because of deaths of soldiers, guerillas and miners by saying; “We are the mothers, you are the killers. We have been waiting for 15 years to find out the fate of our missing. How long do we need to wait?”

The meeting, under a banner stating ‘Missings certain, where are the perpetrators”, was dedicated to Cemal Karabayir, who disappeared in 1980 when he was 24 year-old, and Servet Ipek, Ikram Ipek and Seyithan Yolur who were taken into custody by soldiers before they disappeared.

Cemal Karabayir’s mother Fatma Karabayır, delivered a speech at the meeting: “Find our sons, fathers, husbands, friends and relatives, beloved ones and punish those responsible. We have been waiting for justice for a long time.”

Disappeared Fehim Tosun’s widow Hanim Tosun also addressed the meeting and asked the AKP administration to end this pain which thousands of people have shared.

Dancer Zeynep Tanbay spoke on behalf of Ipek and Yolur families: “There was evidence and witnesses about the Ipek brothers and Yolur’s taken into custody. Nothing has been done since then. Now Ipek Family will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). And we ask for justice to try Major Osman Duman, lieutenant colonel Turgut Arpi, lieutenant Sahap Yarali, sergeant major Sukru Gunlukcu and General Yavuz Erturk due to uncovered the disappearances of Ipek brothers and Yolur.

Thousands salute Human Shield campaign against armed operation of TSK in Amed

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DIHA- Thousands have saluted the Human Shield campaign in Diyarbakir against armed operation of TSK.Thousands have marched against armed operation of Turkish Army Forces or TSK in Diyarbakir. The Peace and Democracy Party BDP have held the Human Shield campaign due to protest and stop the armed operations in Turkey.
Managers and deputies of BDP, Democratic Society Congress or DTK managers and intellectuals also took part in the demonstration.

Human Shield campaign is going to be launched tomorrow in Lice district of Diyarbakir. Beginning of the campaign, 30 thousands of Kurds and supporters of human shield campaign have gathered on the street and speak out against armed operation.

The common point of speakers was the only way to end the war is firstly to stop the operations.

Deputies of BDP accompanied by long convoy will depart tomorrow in front of BDP Diyarbakir Branch Building at 10:00 hours.

Human shield was brought on the agenda of Turkey since the army operations of TSK are getting increase. And BDP had announced that the campaign of Human Shield against the operations in the Region was going to start.

Initiative of Human Shield, established in Diyarbakir, had made a press release to express the goals of the action as follows: To stop the operations, to contribute to create the peaceful environment, to prevent ecologic destruction and to stop new deaths.

It would be helpful to repeat other experiments as human shield in Turkey:

There was two the other Human Shield actions in 2004 and 2005 to stop the operations on Gabar, Cudi and Cirav Mountains and lasted one year even though all kinds of obstructions from soldiers and governments. First human shield action was began with 35 people from different leftist parties. Activists had been arrested on September 4 and released 4 days after. Then other team for 25 people departed from Istanbul and met other 15 human shields in Siirt. They were also arrested and spent 25 days in prison. There were other groups including between 15 and 20 activists also supported the action for Human Shields by being Human Shield and arrested. Even though these preventions Human Shields groups continued to go to the operation are for a year. There was the biggest Human Shield group for 750 people composed in Diyarbakir but they were also prevented like others.

Following the preventions and barricades against Human Shield actions, there was new action in 2005. 1062 Kurds, Turks, Arabic, Circassia and German had involved in human shield action on 30 March, 2005. Germans were deported, 98 of them arrested, 77 of them were banned from entering the operation area. The group cannot over the barricades and they made a decision to meet other side of the front. 222 Human Shields as part of Brigade for Peace and Freedom had met on Qandil Mountains and created Medya Defense Zone on November 27, 2005. Ali Simsek is one of them and he participated in PKK’s armed force HPG. He lost his life on 23 June, 2006 during a conflict against TSK. Ali Simsek was the one who lost his life during peace struggle as human shield.

Leyla Zana: soldiers and guerrillas together for peace

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Speaking at the opening of the Culture and Art Festival in Cizre, former MP Leyla Zana said that voices for peace are getting louder and louder

Former MP Leyla Zana said that “Soldiers and guerrilla will dance for peace together. And this will happen soon”. Zana remarks were pronounced during the speech she gave at the opening of the Culture and Art Festival in Cizre. Zana also added that "Turkish people voices for peace might not yet be strong enough, but they soon will be."

Zana then said the “Turks are going to raise their voice for peace. The Spring is different in Cizre. - she said - I believe Cizre’s shining stars are not going to lose their brightness. And this will make peace possible, and very soon. I believe the Turkish soldiers and the guerrilla are going to dance for peace together.“

Mehmet Saci, mayor of Cizre also addressed the crowd at the festival. He said: “The Kurdish language was forbidden for years. In the 1950s those who spoke in Kurdish were fined. But now, thousands of Kurds are singing in Kurdish and having fun. You cannot suppress one's native tongue with violence and repression.”

Letters to Ferhat Wekili from his childeren

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16.05.2010-Ferhat Wekili was hanged in Evin prison last Sunday. He had three children. The kids had written their last letter to him in March..
Ferhat Wekili was one of the prisoners hanged last Sunday in Evin prison, in Tehran. Along with his friends Şirin Elem Huli, Ferzad Kemanger, Eli Heyderiyan he was tried in a PKK-PJAK case. Political prisoner Mehdi Eslamıyan from Belluci was also hanged with them.

Ferhad was born in the city of Sine, East Kurdistan. He had 3 children; Hengame, Hewram and Hewraz. The kids last wrote to their father on 13 March 2010 for the forthcoming Newroz (Kurdish new year) celebration.

In the letter the children write: “Dear Dad, now the silence dominates our city but we unfortunately can’t find any awaken conscience to listen to the silence of our hearts. Nobody listens to the elegy and lament of the children who are kept away from their fathers and nobody asks the reason of this silence".

The letter goes on like this : "Lovely Dad, without you the sun won’t be warming up the earth and the moon won’t be lightening well. I watch the stars in the sky and think if you also have the chance to look at them from the prison. Dad, do you now see our freedom and happiness stars? Who will answer if we ask why a father is kept in prison and held away from his children?"

The poignant letter ends with a heartbreaking question: "The sleepless people of this city! We are asking you what our crime is. What did we do to have an anguished life at such a young age? What is the crime and who is the criminal?"

IHD: Conscientious Objection must recognized as one of basic citizen rights

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DIHA 15.05.2010- Human Rights Istanbul Branch (IHD) asked that Conscientious Objection must be recognized as one of citizen rights.
Regarding European Council’s advice, United Nations Civil and Political Rights Act and European Human Rights Act, IHD emphasized that “even though Turkey’s sign under these acts Conscientious Objectors are being faced by forced recruitment, arrests, torture and trial. This must be changed and Conscientious Objection has to be under constitutional guarantee.”
Turkey is a country that signed the acts such as European Council’s decisions, United Nations Civil and Political Rights Act and European Human Rights Act but Conscientious Objection is still forbidden in Turkey. IHD pointed out this controversy between theory and practice in Turkey and government to take the Conscientious Objection under constitutional guarantee.

“Article 72 in the constitution must be changed due to Conscientious Objection has to be under constitutional guarantee. Human must not be used as a war factor. Conscientious Objection is a real contra attack against the state’s armed construction. That is why the states are hard on conscientious objectors. Anyhow, Turkey signed a lot of international agreements which mostly support Conscientious Objections or have some advises about it. But there is no practice related this right in Turkey. Because of this, Turkey needs to take a step in order to make it easy for conscientious objectors. Beginning from article 72 of constitution can make it possible and conscientious objectors would be secure according to this amendment. Being conscientious objectors must be recognized as one of basic human rights and brutal oppressions on them have to be stopped.”

166.5 Years' Sentence for Kurdish Journalist Vedat Kurşun

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Erol ÖNDEROĞLU- Detained journalist Kurşun, former editorial manger of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper, was sentenced to 166 years and 6 months imprisonment under charges of "Membership of the PKK" and spreading PKK propaganda".
Journalist Vedat Kurşun, former editorial manager of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper, was charged with "membership of the PKK organization" and "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization" by the 5th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır (south-eastern Turkey). Kurşun received a prison sentence of 166 years and six months. The separatist PKK organization is listed as a terrorist organization in many countries.

With this decision, the court followed the demands expressed in the final submission of the prosecutor. In the hearing on 13 May, the court decreed to sentence Kurşun to 12 years and eight months, the upper limit for charges of "membership of an organization". He furthermore received a 103 counts' sentence according to article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMY) on propaganda for an illegal organization.

In an announcement made by the Azadiya Welat daily, the decision was described as "illegal" and "politically" motivated. The newspaper urged rights institutions to react to the decision.

Journalist Kurşun was arrested on 30 January 2009 on Atatürk Airport in Istanbul because he had not given his statement in another trial. Kurşun was later on detained and taken to the Diyarbakır D Type Prison, facing heavy prison sentence.

Detained defendant Kurşun attended the hearing together with his lawyers Meral Danış Beştaş, Serhat Eren and Rahşan Bataray. Among the observers of the trial were Kurşun's relatives as well as Eser Uyansız, concessionaire of the Azadiya Welat newspaper, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Yüksel Genç, Gün TV publication director Diren Keser, employees from "free press" and the Diyarbakır Kurdish Institute, and reporter Urtzi Urruti Koetxea form the Berria newspaper published in the Basque region.
Court was not convinced

Lawyer Eren requested to have the translations of the articles subject of the trial re-done since the present translations were made by police officers and because the second translator had said "I have done as much as I could" after s/he had finished with the translations. Nevertheless, this request was dismissed. Eren said in his speech of defence that Kurşun did not intent to spread propaganda by the pictures and articles he published, but that they should be seen within the context of publishing information as part of the basic work of journalists.

Lawyer Bataray reminded the fact that Turkey has signed the European Convention of Human Rights and called the court to decide according to previous decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Beştaş emphasized that his client did not commit a theft, he did not use violence, he did not kill anybody, nor did he encourage others to resort to violence - he merely expressed his thoughts as a journalist. However, the lawyers' efforts could not prevent the heavy punishment.
Facing a long time in prison

Kurşun is currently tried in 32 different cases. Court Prosecutor Yakup Yar had demanded prison sentence of up to five years under charges of "propaganda for an illegal organization" on the grounds of criminal contents in a total of 103 issues of the newspaper. Furthermore, prosecutor Yar had requested imprisonment of up to another ten years for "membership in an illegal organization".

Kurşun was facing a total prison sentence of up to 525 years due to the prosecutor's demand of a103 counts sentence. Prosecutor Yar referred in his demand to certain terms used in the articles such as "Kurdistan", "guerrilla", "martyr", "leader of the Kurdish people" or "respectable Öcalan" besides the publishing of notes made during an interview with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, criticism of the conditions of detention in Imralı prison where Öcalan serves his sentence and announcements of PKK executives. (EÖ/VK)

RSF condems Kurdish journalist sentence
ANF -Reporters Without Borders "firmly condemns the insane sentence of 166 years and six months in prison which a court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir passed yesterday on Vedat Kursun, the former editor of Turkey’s only Kurdish-language daily, Azadiya Welat".

The international organization issued a strongly-worded press release as soon as it learned of the heavy sentence passed on Kursun.

The former editor of Azadiya Welat was convicted under articles 314-3 and 220-6 of the criminal code and article 7-2 of the anti-terrorism law on charges of membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), regarded by the Turkish government as a terrorist organisation, and spreading PKK propaganda.

“This sentence is absurd,” Reporters Without Borders said. “We support Kursun’s colleagues, who say this was a political trial. We regret the attitude of the Turkish judicial authorities, who are deliberately violating the rights that are protected by the European Convention on Human Rights although Turkey is a signatory.”

In the final hearing, Kursun’s lawyers tried to make the jury understand that the conviction requested by prosecutor Yavup Var violated laws protecting freedom of expression. They also insisted that Turkey should respect the undertakings it has given to the Council of Europe.

Kursun had been facing a possible sentence of 525 years in prison. Although the sentence he was given was much less, it is no less absurd and undermines the credibility not only of this court but also of Turkey’s entire judicial system.

Reporters Without Borders calls for Kursun’s release and urges the European Union to condemn this verdict.

Held since his arrest at Istanbul airport on 30 January, Kursun was given such a long sentence in part because he was convicted on a total of 103 counts of publishing PKK propaganda. An additional 12 years for membership of the PKK rounded off the total of 166 years in jail for just doing his job as a journalist. Aged 36, he would have to live to the age of 202 to complete the sentence.

Azadiya Welat has repeatedly been the target of prosecutions and seizures of its issues. Ozan Kilinç, who took over as its editor after Kursun was tried and convicted on similar charges in 2009, was himself sentenced to 21 years and 3 months in prison on 10 February.

Cemil Cicek: In fact they are not children

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Kurdish Info 13.05.2010- Cemil Cicek,Vice-Prime Minister is in Geneva, to participating to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism Meeting (EPİM), which will continue until 14th May. Cicek spoke of the children who are given sentences in demonstrations for throwing stones at police and said: "They're actually not children; it is only in physical appearance that they are small but in fact they are not small children.” The Geneva Community Centre demonstrated its reactions to Cicek words: "this is corruption!"


Vice- Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, joined with a crowd delegation to the United Nations in Geneva under the Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review Mechanism Meeting (EPİM). Cemil Cicek delivered a speech on issues that were evaluated like anti-discrimination, cultural rights and children’s rights and said: "In Turkey non-discrimination is guaranteed by the constitution. There is no discrimination between sexual, religious and ethnic identity.”

Cicek also referred to children’s rights issues, and said a draft law on the children's should be judged in the context of the TMK is on the agenda of the General Assemble of Turkey. This will provide arrangements for children's courts and no longer will children be tried by the children’s courts.

Cemil Cicek said that in some regions of Turkey (such as Kurdish regions) when the family make the identity card for their children they declare the age as less than it actually is, which means that their identity card makes them appear younger, but in reality they are not children, claimed Cicek, saying that we have to take account of this reality!

Geneva Community Centre (Halkevi) made a written statement on the Cicek's remarks and described them as "immoral". The community centre reminded the Child rights Contract in statement, and said "Erdal Eren was 17 when executed, Uğur Kaymaz was just 12 years-old. In the last 20 years it noted that 370 Kurdish children had been murdered in Turkey."

The statement concluded: "In Turkey, we are shocked to see the images of the children tortured in the street; they have heavy punishment in the courts as adults and they are in prison for ten years we see every day in the headlines of the newspapers and on our television screens. Saying 'we do not attach handcuffs to children’s hands' does not mean anything. Yes, in our country children’s hands are not clasped, because the wrists and arms of our children are broken by the police in uniforms."

Labour Day Finally Back in Taksim Square!

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BIA 01.05.2010- For the first time in 32 years, Taksim Square was open to the public for a celebration of the labour movement and a call for more rights.
After Labour Day was declared a public holiday in Turkey last year, this year saw the central Taksim Square in Istanbul reopened to the public on the day, after a ban since 1977.
Three processions towards the square

Starting at 10 am, trade unionists and workers converged on Taksim Square from three different locations.

At 11.40 am, presidents of the trade union confederations laid down carnations at a site near the square where workers had been shot dead on Labour Day in 1977. Mustafa Kumlu, president of the TÜRK-İŞ confederation, said, "We remember the friends we lost from the depths of our hearts. We rejoice in the fact that Taksim Square has been opened, and we thank our friends who struggled for this cause."

A minute of silence followed in front of the monument at Taksim Square.
Preparations

Around 1,500 trade union officials are on duty today, and temporary toilets were installed. Plain-clothes police officers are on duty and the shops in the area are closed, but food kiosks are open.

The police has closed off the side streets leading to Taksim and only certain roads to Taksim are open.
Uras: "If only army and police had trade unions, too"

MP Ufuk Uras from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was at the square, too. He told bianet, "I congratulate all workers on their day. As in all countries of the world, Labour Day needs to be celebrated in peace in Turkey, too. From now on, Turkey will become a more democratic and free country. I congratulate everyone who worked on making the celebration in Taksim possible."

He added, "We defend the right of all public workers, be they uniformed or not, to organise in unions and to have collective labour agreements. If only the police and the military also had trade unions and fought for their rights. We have taken a great step in getting over the 12 September [the military coup of 1980] in Turkey. This is our shared success."
Evren: "Emotional"

Sami Evren of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) said, "It is impossible not to get emotional. It is very important that Labour Day is being celebrated in Taksim Square again after so many years. We struggled for years to get this ban lifted. We expect around 100,000 people to converge on the square from the Şişli meeting point."
Akay and Tanbay: Ban was for nothing

bianet also spoke to film director Ezel Akay and dancer Zeynep Tanbay on the square.

Akay was taking part in his trade union SİNE-SEN's walk. He said, "Today an area ended and a new one has started. We will not have a revolution immediately, but for the whole of Turkey the opening of Taksim Square has symbolic meaning. Today is as important as the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is not the success of a political group or the government, but of the public. Everyone ridiculed the ban anyway.

Tanbay also referred to the ban on celebrations in previous years, saying, "This is 1 May and this is Taksim. We suffered for nothing for years. There was no need.
Demand for free education

Some highschool students joined the march to Taksim Square from Şişli. They told bianet about their demands and feelings.

Eylem Karaca said, "We are struggling for socialism. We do not see the student movement as separate. As a woman I believe that my liberation can only be achieved through the liberation of all women."

Other students demanded free and equal education, as well as democracy and peace. University students added a call for autonomous universities.
"A better world for our children"

Ayşen Aksakal came to the demonstration with her two 4-year-old children. She said, "We have come here with our children on purpose. We want to leave our children and all other children a free and equal world. (SP/BT/TK/AG)

© Kurdish Info,

Women movement needs to develop’

• • Women movement needs to develop’

• 
• 29.04.2010- Kurdish women director Sirin Cihani said that women movement needs to be developed due to create common conscious on common problems of Kurdish women.
  Kurdish women are gathering to find answers for their questions, to solve the problems and to establish a way in order to fight against. The Kurdish Women Conference has been held in Diyarbakir due to share the experience about those cases. Kurdish intellectuals such as writers, producers, scientists and politicians took place in the Conference lasted 2 days.
  
  Sirin Cihani, director in Kurdistan province of Iran, spoke at the conference;
  
  “Kurdish women need to be gathered and raise the struggle for common problems in all countries where the Kurds live. Rights violations, violence and anti-democratic practices against women are all our common problems which we have to find collective way to struggle and solve as Kurdish women. This is the first and very important step for it. Each woman counts on herself as responsible for this duty and has to recognize that this fight cannot be successful by our own but only together. Iranian women are living in very harsh environment if we are regarding laws and traditions as well. Traditions are really significant block in front of women’s rights. Still, there is a great effort against system which keeps women in their houses.”
  
  Cihani also emphasized that Kurdish women’s struggle has to be spread all four parts in where Kurdish population lives.
• © Kurdish Info,

Witnesses of the Defence Will Testify in Trial against Tursun Family

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• • Witnesses of the Defence Will Testify in Trial against Tursun Family

• 
• Erol ÖNDEROĞLU-The family of killed Baran Tursun is tried for raising against the court during the law suit filed related to the death of their son and brother. Tursun's parents and his sister are facing prison sentence. The case was postponed to 9 July to hear eight witnesses of the defence.
  
  Berrin Tursun, mother of Baran Tursun who was killed with a police bullet in 2007, his father Mehmet Tursun and the victim's sister Şelale Tursun stand trial at the Karşıkaya (Izmir) 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance.
  
  They are facing imprisonment of up to ten years under charges of "influencing an official of the judiciary", "threat" and "insult". Reason for the accusations is their reaction against a court decision in the case related to the death of their son and brother. The case was postponed to July in order to hear eight further witnesses presented by the defence.
  
  The Ministry of Justice refused to issue permission for a trial under article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK) under charges of "Insulting the state, the judiciary, the military and the Police forces". Thus, the case was launched under the above mentioned allegations.
  Eight witnesses to be heard
  
  Family lawyer Nezahat Paşa Bayraktar talked to bianet after the hearing on 27 April. He said that he had evaluated camera records, television footage and police records by an expert for the hearing on Tuesday. In the coming hearing, it will be the turn to hear the witnesses of the defence, Bayraktar said.
  
  20-year-old Baran Tursun was killed by the police on 25 November 2007 in his car when he allegedly ignored the police's stop warning. Tursun's family showed a strong reaction when defendant police officer Oral Emre Atar was released pending trial on 14 January 2008. His mother, Berrin Tursun, rose against the court's decision and his father had stated that he did not trust the judiciary and broke a pen after the hearing.
  Second case: Mother faces 41 months in prison
  
  The Karşıkaya 1st High Criminal Court decreed for imprisonment of 25 months for defendant Atar by reason of "causing death by negligence of duty". He had been released pending trial after the first hearing of the case. Tursun's mother, who protested the court's decision for release, is facing imprisonment of 41 months on the other hand as requested by the prosecutor in the hearing on the previous day (26 April).
  
  Besides the family members, representatives of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and member of other non-governmental organizations stand accused in this law suit. The case will be continued on 17 May. (EÖ/VK)


© Kurdish Info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE /Freedom for Mr Muharrem Erbey

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Kurdish Info 27.04.2010- 102 of members of parliament, human rights defenders, professors, and intellectuals demand the release of imprisoned Kurdish human rights lawyer Mr Muharrem Erbey.
In an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, one hundred two prominent politicians, human rights activists, and thinkers from around the globe have called on the Turkish authorities to immediately release Mr Muharrem Erbey, the imprisoned Vice Chairperson of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD), the country’s oldest and largest human rights monitoring group.

“The fact that leading human rights defenders like Mr Erbey are being imprisoned for political reasons casts serious doubt on the sincerity of the ruling party’s stated intention to expand democracy in Turkey,” said Ms Estella Schmid, spokesperson for the Peace in Kurdistan Campaign, the organisation which prepared the letter-petition to Prime Minister Erdoğan.

Mr Erbey, who is a renowned lawyer and published author, was arrested in the early hours of 24 December 2009 as part of so-called anti-terror operations launched simultaneously in 11 Turkish provinces. Mr Erbey is being charged with membership of a terrorist organization due to speeches he’s given in Europe concerning human rights abuses, and other activities he’s participated in within his capacity as a senior human rights lawyer.

Along with some 1,500 other Kurdish activists and politicians, including elected mayors, Mr Erbey is currently in prison awaiting trial. Many international human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have criticized Mr Erbey’s imprisonment.

“The arrest of Muharrem Erbey and the wider wave of repression directed at Kurdish activists and political leaders jeopardizes Turkey’s EU membership bid and undermines prospects for a negotiated solution to the Kurdish issue,” Ms Schmid said. “International civil society mustn’t be silent in the face of these anti-democratic attacks on lawful and peaceful dissent, especially since Turkey is taking these actions with US and European backing.”

Open Letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Appeal against the Prosecution of Imprisoned Kurdish Human Rights Lawyer Muharrem Erbey, Vice Chairperson of the Human Rights Association of Turkey


We express our strongest opposition to the arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights lawyer Mr Muharrem Erbey, General Vice Chairperson of the Human Rights Association (Insan Haklari Derneği – IHD) of Turkey and Chairperson of its Diyarbakır Province Branch.

We refer to the charge against Mr Erbey issued by the Diyarbakır Special Heavy Penal Court on December 26, 2009 of “being a member of an illegal organisation” pursuant to Article 314 of the Criminal Code, with reference to Article 220/6 of the Criminal Code in the Law No. 5237. We have had the opportunity to review the record of Mr Erbey’s interrogation and official documentation objecting to the decision to arrest. The accusation that Mr Erbey is a member of the KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) has been made without any proper basis. We note with grave concern that Mr Erbey has been denied access to the evidence against him and has been subject to illegal search warrants.

Questioning by the prosecution of Mr Erbey indicates that he was arrested for his legitimate human rights work conducted within the legal framework of the Human Rights Association and in furtherance of international human rights agreements. The record of interrogation indicates that the charge was made on the basis of Mr Erbey’s participation in a workshop in Diyarbakır in September 2009 to discuss constitutional amendments aimed at ensuring a greater respect of minorities' rights. Further, that Mr Erbey delivered speeches on Kurdish rights to the parliaments of Belgium, Sweden and England. The charges are also sought to be substantiated on the grounds that Mr Erbey attended the “Kurdish Film Festival” in Italy in 2009 and that he was the legal adviser of the Mayor of Diyarbakir, Mr. Osman Baydemir.

The arrest of Mr Erbey is in clear violation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998. We urge you to ensure that human rights defenders are not subject to unfounded accusations and reprisals because of their human rights work. We call upon you to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Erbey as well as all other detained human rights defenders.

Signed by:

Hélène Flautre, MEP, Chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee; Noam Chomsky, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Philosophy, MIT; Tony Benn, President, Stop the War Coalition, UK; Prof. Dr. Robert Olson, University of Kentucky, USA; Prof. Dr. Michael Gunter, Tennessee Technical University, USA; Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP; Jean Lambert MEP; Caroline Lukas MEP; Bairbre De Brun MEP, Sinn Fein; Frieda Brepoels, MEP; Lord Rea; Lord Hylton; Lord Wallace; John Austin MP; Hywel Williams MP; Bob Russell MP; David Drew MP; Jeremy Corbyn MP; Mike Mansfield QC; Louise Christian, Human Rights Lawyer; Dafydd Iwan, LL.D., President of Plaid Cymru, Party of Wales; Bruce Kent, Vice-President Pax Christi; Elaine Hagopian, Professor Emerita of Sociology, Simmons College, USA; Ms. Souhayr Belhassen, President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH); Abdol-Karim Lahidji, President of the Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights, Vice President of FIDH; Michael Ellman, Solicitor, ex-Chair, Solicitors International Human Rights Group, FIDH International Board Officer; Prof. Bill Bowring, President, European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (EDLH); Thomas Schmidt, Lawyer, Secretary General of ELDH; Christian Herrgesell, Commissioner for Prisoners, Foundation for Basic Rights and Democracy, Germany; Joseph K. Grieboski, Chairman of The Institute on Religion and Public Policy, USA; Mr. Eric Sottas, Secretary-General of the World Organisation Against Torture; Liz Davies, Chair, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers; Alex Wilks, Lawyer; Dr. Victoria Sentas, School of Law, King's College London; Frances Webber, Human Rights Lawyer, Vice-President of Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers; Mario Lana, President, Forensic Union for the Protection of Human Rights, Italy; Margaret Owen, Director, Widows for Peace through Democracy, International Human Rights Lawyer; Francisco Soberón Garrido, Executive Director, Human Rights Association of Peru; Nick Hildyard, Policy Analyst; Desmond Fernandes, Genocide Scholar and Author; Dr. Felix Padel, Anthropologist; Ara Sarafian, Historian; Professor Ben Bowling, School of Law, King's College London; Dr. David Whyte, School of Sociology and Social Policy, Liverpool University; Sugin Praisoody, Lawyer; Les Levidow, Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC); Jonathan Bloch, Author and LibDem Councillor; Khatchatur I. Pilikian, Prof of Music & Art; Robert Brown MSP; Marlyn Glen MSP; Ken Macintosh MSP; Elaine Smith MSP; Michael Matheson MSP; Christina McKelvie MSP; Dr. Bill Wilson MSP; Cathy Peattie MSP; Richard Haley, Secretary, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities; Stephen Smellie, UNISON Public Sector Trade Union, Scottish Committee; Roger Tompkins, international lawyer (retired), Cyprus; Prof. Dr. Raimund Rütten, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Joachim Rollhauser, Lawyer, Greece; Maria Paradeisi Assistant Professor, Panteion University, Athens, Greece; Katerina Papagika, doctor, Greece; Dimitris Stergiopoulos, student, Greece; Iosifina Iakovidou, Doctoral Student, Greece; Dimitris Tsirkas, Student, Greece; Stratis Bournazos, Journalist, Greece; Giorgos Karatzas, Human Rights Activist, Greece; Manolis Hatiris, Doctoral Student, Greece; Internationalist magazine "Resistencias"; Kurdish Federation UK; Janroj Keles, Research Fellow, London Metropolitan University; Kelly Stuart, Playwright and Lecturer at Columbia University; Mustafa Gundogdu, Turkey and Iraq Desk Officer, Kurdish Human Rights Project, England; Carla van Os, Human Rights Lawyer, The Hague; Sally Eberhardt, Producer, New York Kurdish Film Festival; Daniel Steinvorth, Turkey Correspondent, Der Spiegel; Karim Hassan, Independent Kurdish Scholar, Canada; Dr. Edel Hughes, School of Law, University of Limerick, Ireland; Kevin McKiernan, Author and Filmmaker; Jesse McLaren, Vice-Chair, Santa Cruz County Chapter, American Civil Liberties Organization, Santa Cruz, USA; Hugo Charlton, Barrister; Anna Karamanou, Former MEP, Greece; Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT), Canada Chapter; Wolfgang Betrup, Theologian, President, ACAT-Germany; Natsumi Ajiki, Kurdish Herald Editorial Board; Nasser Amin, General Director, Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP), Cairo, Egypt; Dr. Helene Jaffe, Founder and President, Association for Victims of Repression in Exile, France; Danial Saoud, President, Committees for the Defense of Democracy, Freedoms, and Human Rights in Syria; Manuel Lambert, Legal Counsel, Human Rights League, Belgium; Nicole Filion, Coordinator, League of Rights and Freedoms, Canada; Margarita Lacabe, Executive Director, Derechos Human Rights, USA; Margaret Riley, teacher, South Korea; Tunisian Council for Liberties; Abdulla Alderazi, Secretary General, Bahrain Human Rights Society; Ezzadine Alasbhi, Chairman, Human Rights Information and Training Centre, Yemen; Tunisian Council for Liberties; Guillermo Presa Suaŕez, Lawyer, Observatory for the Defense of Rights and Liberties, Galicia, Spain; Gilberto Pagani, President, European Democratic Lawyers; Hans Gaasbeek, President of the Dutch chapter, Lawyers Without Borders; Yiannis Rachiotis, Lawyer, Greece; Eugenia Kouniaki, Lawyer, Greece.


For more information, contact:

Jake Hess
Human rights activist and friend of Muharrem Erbey
Email: JakeRHess@gmail.com

Estella Schmid
Peace in Kurdistan: Campaign for a Political Solution of the Kurdish Question
Patrons: Lord Avebury, John Austin MP, Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Bairbre de Brún MEP, Alyn Smith MEP, Hywel Williams MP, Elfyn Llwyd MP, Julie Christie, Gareth Peirce, Noam Chomsky, Edward Albee, Mark Thomas
Tel: 020 7586 5892 Fax: 020 7483 2531
E-mail: estella24@tiscali.co.uk

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