Fw: TURKEY: OCALAN LAWYERS AT RISK (fwd)

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## Nachricht vom 03.03.99 weitergeleitet
## Ursprung : K.RAUCHFUSS at WALKER.link-do.soli.de
## Ersteller: Branscheidt at medico-international.de


DIE SCHICKSALE DER RECHTSANWÄLTE ABDULLAH ÖCALANS

HANS BRANSCHEIDTS MESSAGE



-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Jouni Pirilä <jopirila at utu.fi>
An: harawazi-l at utu.fi <harawazi-l at utu.fi>
Datum: Mittwoch, 3. März 1999 13:45
Betreff: TURKEY: OCALAN LAWYERS AT RISK (fwd)


nothing really new, but just to show Amnesty's reaction as well. jouni.



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 22:43:07 -0600 (CST)
From: Amnesty International <amnesty at oil.ca>
To: undisclosed-recipients:  ;
Subject: TURKEY: OCALAN LAWYERS AT RISK

* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *
News Service: 041/99
AI INDEX: EUR 44/20/99
26 FEBRUARY 1999

PUBLIC STATEMENT

TURKEY

ÖCALAN LAWYERS AT RISK

Amnesty International condemned today the persecution of the lawyers
representing Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdish Workers' Party
(PKK). Ahmet Zeki Okçuoglu and Hatice Korkut -- who visited him
yesterday --are particularly at risk.

Both lawyers were reportedly kicked and punched as they arrived at the
quay-side at Müdanya to set off for the prison island of Imrali , where
Abdullah Öcalan is being held. Both lawyers and their families have
received telephone threats. Reportedly even people with the same surname
have been harassed.

In response to the threats faced by the lawyers involved in the case,
Amnesty International called upon the Turkish Government to support
clearly and decisively the principle of the right to defence and the
duty of the lawyer to act. This is clearly set out in Article 18 of the
UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which states "lawyers shall
not be identified with their clients or their clients' causes as a
result of discharging their functions".

Another alarming episode involved four lawyers working on Abdullah
Öcalan's case who held a press-conference at the Press Museum in the
Cagaloglu district of Istanbul today. They were jostled by an angry
crowd on entering the museum and one of them, Osman Baydemir, was
arrested in connection with a statement he had made some weeks ago.

After the press-conference, the lawyers were unwilling to leave the
building as there was a group of people shouting right-wing slogans and
threats. After initially declining to offer any guarantees for the
lawyers' safety, the police eventually brought a vehicle to the museum
and accompanied them to relative safety.

The lawyers are reported to have suspended their representation of
Abdullah Öcalan, saying that they cannot continue in their duty under
the current circumstances, and that his trial cannot be considered fair
unless he is properly assisted by competent and committed defence
counsel.

ENDS.../
Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street,
WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
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