PRESSURE ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Ethem Açıkalın, president of the Human Rights Association (İHD) in Adana, had previously been accused of being connected to the militant Kurdistan Worker's Party PKK, the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) and DHKPC (Party and Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of the Turkish People). He has already been on trial eight times for "spreading PKK propaganda", "resistance against the police" and "inciting hatred and hostility".

In the course of a demonstration on Chidren's Day this April in Hakkari in the south-east of Turkey a riot police officer ran after a 17-year-old child, caught up with him and brutally beat is head and upper body with his rifle butt. Açıkalın had organized a protest in Adana against this incident. Now he is accused of "opposing the law of assemblage and demonstrations."

"When I just open my mouth they put me on trial"

Açıkalın's reaction to the latest trial: "When I just open my mouth they put me on trial. If there is an operation in town they try to make me part of it. On one hand they talk about a democratic initiative, but on the other hand they put democratic actions under court pressure. Turkey does not fulfill many of the obligations of international treaties the country has signed. Neither does it fulfill the UN declaration for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders".

Açıkalın furthermore warned: "Defenders of human rights are in danger in Turkey. The new trial against me shows this very clearly."

Trial starts on 2 November

Açıkalın is charged with "violation of the law against illegal demonstrations, organizing demonstrations and participating in demonstrations" according to articles 6/2, 23/d and 28/1 of law no. 2911. His trial is scheduled for 2 November at the 8^th Criminal Court of First Instance.

10th trial on its way?

Another investigation against Açıkalın has been started because the human rights defender conducted an action prepared by the İHD headquarters some months ago called "Look at the Euphrates and you will see blood running down the river".  The action was aimed at including unsolved killings in the Ergenekon case in order to solve them. (EÖ/VK)