KCK lawyers¹ trial: Report by Tony Fisher

8 November, 2012

Dear friends,

The following report was written by Tony Fisher, chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society , who participated in a UK delegation of lawyers to Istanbul this week. The delegation observed the latest hearing of the KCK lawyers’ trial, which was eventually adjourned until the new year.

More reports will follow.

Kind regards,
Melanie Sirinathsingh
Estella Schmid

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Peace in Kurdistan
Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish Question
Email: estella24@tiscali.co.uk <mailto:estella24@tiscali.co.uk>
www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com
Contacts Estella Schmid 020 7586 5892 & Melanie Sirinathsingh - Tel: 020 7272 7890
Fax: 020 7263 0596

Patrons: Lord Avebury, Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Jill Evans MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hywel Williams MP, Elfyn Llwyd MP, John Austin, Bruce Kent, Gareth Peirce, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, John Berger, Edward Albee, Margaret Owen OBE, Prof Mary Davis, Mark Thomas


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KCK TRIAL OF KURDISH LAWYERS – ISTANBUL 6TH NOVEMBER 2012

Background

In November 2011 mass arrests of some 46 Kurdish and Turkish lawyers took place in raids carried out simultaneously in many Turkish cities and provinces.

The arrest of these lawyers is linked with many thousands of other arrests which have taken place, mainly of Kurdish Turkish nationals, since 2009. Most of those arrested have had some connection with a Kurdish organisation established by Abdullah Ocalan, namely the union of Communities in Kurdestan (otherwise known as the KCK). The trials of these individuals, including the lawyers trials, have become known as the KCK trials. In all some 8,000 defendants have been charged with terrorist offences. They include politicians, journalists, academics and other human rights defenders as well as the lawyers.

Mr Ocalan is a Kurdish politician who is seen by many as the natural leader of the Kurdish community in Turkey. He is currently held in isolation on an island without access to legal counsel having been convicted on terrorist charges in Turkey.


**The full report is attached, or you can read the rest of the report here: http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/kck-lawyers-trial-report-by-tony-fisher/