Turkish court orders release of Kur

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

Subject: Turkish court orders release of Kurdish politician

T26102; Tue, 14 Nov 1995 17:34:42 -0800


          ANKARA, Nov 10 (Reuter) - A Turkish court on Friday ordered
the release of former Kurdish mayor Mehdi Zana, jailed for a
speech made at the European Parliament, in line with changes to
an anti-terror law restricting freedom of expression.
          Jailed in 1994 for four years, Zana is among some 90
prisoners ordered released so far after parliament amended
Article 8 last month. It was not clear if the decision meant he
would be freed immediately.
          Zana is married to Leyla Zana, a Kurdish member of
parliament serving a 15-year sentence for links with Kurdish
guerrillas who on Thursday won the European Parliament's
prestigious Sakharov prize for freedom of thought.
          ``After the changes to Article 8, his sentence was reduced
and we decided that he could be freed,'' Talat Salk, deputy
chief prosecutor at Ankara's state security court, told Reuters.
          ``We have faxed his prison and said they can release him
pending any other sentences against him in Istanbul's state
security court. We have no further business with him.''
          The Istanbul state security court could not be reached for
comment on Zana.
          Zana, a former Sakharov prize nominee, was convicted of
making ``separatist propaganda'' in a speech before a commission
of the European Parliament. He and his wife were held in the
same Ankara prison.
          Foreign Ministry officials said on Friday 90 people jailed
under Article 8 had been ordered released, but not all had left
jail as they had other cases pending.
          The changes to Article 8 still keep restrictions on speeches
and writings, but reduce maximum jail sentences from five years
to three and require proof of intent to commit a crime.
          Leyla Zana's jailing along with five other Turkish members
of parliament led to an outcry from European parliamentarians
and calls for a key customs union with the European Union to be
put on ice until they were released.
          More than 18,000 people have been killed in the 11-year-old
fight of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with the Turkish army
for independence or autonomy in southeastern Turkey.


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