Activists in Turkey are released; process will continue
27-11-2009
After five months and 20 days in jail, the criminal court in Turkey decided to release the 22 activists (10 women and 12 men) arrested in the months of May and June. The next stage of the trial investigating the alleged involvement of the accused with an illegal organisation will be held on the 2nd March 2010. Testimonies from all prisoners were heard in this first trial, which lasted two days, until early morning on Saturday, the 21st. For lack of time, the nine others who were awaiting trial in liberty were not heard.
The trial was accompanied by about 150 people, including an international delegation of more than 40 people and the families of the prisoners - teenagers, elderly parents – as well as friends and political activists. KESK (Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions of Turkey) activists remained outside the court throughout the trial, carrying posters demanding “Hands off KESK”, accompanied by groups of school students and human rights organisations.
All the women imprisoned identified themselves before the jury as feminists. All of them were or are responsible for the women's committees of public sector trade unions related to KESK at different levels (local, regional, national). One of the ten accused women began her statement in the trial denouncing the prosecutor’s report as patriarchal defamation.
Read the full article in:
http://www.worldmarchofwomen.org/structure/cn-groupes/europe/turquie/trial2009/decision1120/en
The trial was accompanied by about 150 people, including an international delegation of more than 40 people and the families of the prisoners - teenagers, elderly parents – as well as friends and political activists. KESK (Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions of Turkey) activists remained outside the court throughout the trial, carrying posters demanding “Hands off KESK”, accompanied by groups of school students and human rights organisations.
All the women imprisoned identified themselves before the jury as feminists. All of them were or are responsible for the women's committees of public sector trade unions related to KESK at different levels (local, regional, national). One of the ten accused women began her statement in the trial denouncing the prosecutor’s report as patriarchal defamation.
Read the full article in:
http://www.worldmarchofwomen.org/structure/cn-groupes/europe/turquie/trial2009/decision1120/en