German Human Rights Activists trial

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

Subject: German Human Rights Activists trialed in Diyarbakir

 id VT16520; Thu, 31 Aug 1995 21:42:11 -0800


BONN, Aug 17 (Reuter) - Four German human rights activists were detained by
police in Turkey on Thursday after four other members of their group appeared
in a court there, German officials said.

Three Germans and their Swiss interpreter appeared in court in Diyarbakir, in
southeastern Turkey, after visiting an office coordinating hunger strikes by
Kurds, the officials said.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said they had been detained by police
on Wednesday and four more members of the group had been held on Thursday.
He did not say if the activists had been charged with any offences.

Matthias Gaertner, a member of the regional assembly in the eastern German
state of Saxony-Anhalt, said the group was planning to put together a report on
human rights in the region. The ministry spokesman said the German embassy in
Ankara was in close contact with the authorities in Diyarbakir.

In April a court in Diyarbakir ordered 11 Germans to be deported for taking
part in an illegal pro-Kurdish demonstration.

(4)

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuter) - A Turkish court Thursday released seven German
human rights activists and their Swiss interpreter detained by police in the
southeastern city of Diyarbakir, court officials said.

Police sources said the eight would probably be expelled from the region on a
plane to either Ankara or Istanbul Thursday evening.

They appeared at a special security court after being detained by police for
"provocation" while visiting Kurdish hunger strikers in Diyarbakir, a court
official said. The hearing of almost one hour was closed to the media.

In Bonn, a German foreign ministry spokesman said three of the activists were
detained by police Wednesday while the other four were arrested Thursday.

Matthias Gaertner, a member of the regional assembly in the eastern German
state of Saxony-Anhalt, said the group was planning to put together a report on
human rights in the region.

In April, the same court ordered 11 Germans, most of them human rights
activists, to be deported for taking part in an illegal pro-Kurdish
demonstration.

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 * Origin: APS Amsterdam (aps.nl), bbs +31-20-6842147 (16:31/2.0)