For the second time we travelled with two colleagues from the Schoolplein Advocaten, Utrecht, to Diyarbakir in Turkey in order to attend, as international observers, the 21st hearing of the mass trial against 152 defendants: the so-called KCK trial in Diyarbakir. This time, with the delegation was the Dutch journalist Vijdan Yildirim, who accompanied us a translator.

Since the 21^st hearing of the trial, took place on April 19, 2011, two additional hearings have taken place where the lawyers of the suspects were, as a way of protest, not present at the court proceedings. Outside the Court, the lawyers once again announced their demands: that the court recognize the defendant’s right to a defense in their native language (Kurdish,, that a this court’s competence is reviewed in terms of handling of the case, and finally that all defendants in this case are to stand trial simultaneously.

A 13 member fact finding teamof Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations visited the Chintalnar Area of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh to probe into the incidents of atrocitiesperpetrated by the Salwa Judum and the state forces on the adivasis living in this area between 11thand 16th of March 2011.

Read the full story...

ACCOUNT OF A POLITICAL TRIAL

13 January 2011.Today, Diyarbakir, a city with 1,2 million residents in south-east Turkey, will be witnessing a mass trial. In this trial, 151 persons are accused of links to the Kurdistan Communities Union, or KCK. The prosecutors claim that the KCK is the urban wing of the banned Workers’ Party of Kurdistan (known as PKK with its Kurdish acronym) and accuse the suspects of membership of an outlawed (labelled as ‘terrorist’) organization, spreading terrorist propaganda, and undermining the state’s unity. Eleven Kurdish politicians could face life imprisonment, while the indictment calls for jail terms ranging from 15 to 36,5 years for the other 140 persons who stand accused. The trial is very controversial for several reasons. The evidence is obtained through statements of anonymous witnesses, and by using intercept evidence, such as wiretapping telephone conversations and eavesdropping in public buildings. Moreover, the trial does appear to be politically motivated. The accused are people who have been democratically elected to represent the DTP (Demokratik Toplun Partisi - Democratic People’s Party) and who were actively involved in promoting the Kurdish cultural and political rights. Among the accused are members of parliament, mayors and members of city council. The whole trial process gives the impression that it is an attempt to suppress the legally organized political movement of the Kurdish people in Turkey through the judicial system.