Human Rights Activists Face Imprisonment

In a press release they had criticised military operations in December 2000, euphemistically termed "Return to Life", in which prisons with hunger strikers were stormed and over thirty people were killed. They had also demanded that those in charge of the operations be brought to justice.

The penal court in Adana, had decreed that the three accused had "incited the people to hatred towards the state".

The three men on trial are the IHD branch president Ethem Acikalin, the branch secretary Mustafa Bagcicek and the branch accountant Hüseyin Beyaz. In a hearing today (7 June), the court decided that the sentences wouldn't be postponed "due to current conditions in the country".

Acikalin also faces Article 301 trial

Furthermore, branch president Acikalin faces a trial under Article 301 at an Adana peace court for taking part in protests against the killings of civilians in Adana and Diyarbakir (south-east Turkey).

In Adana, sixteen-year old Feyzi Abik had been killed, and in Diyarbakir 11 people died. The trial started today, and the charge under Article 301 is "denigrating the state's law-enforcement officers"

In a response to the trials, the Adana branch of the IHD has released a written statement, stating that "this has shown again that in a state governed by the rule of law it is considered a crime to demand the punishment of people responsible for events".

Referring to the changes Turkey has been making to its legislation in order to conform to EU standards, the Adana IHD said that the concept of "crimes of thought" nevertheless persisted. (EÖ/EÜ/AG/EÜ)