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  • ANKARA: Ministers Committee cannot Change EHRC Verdict'

    'Ministers Committee cannot Change EHRC Verdict'
    By Selcuk Gutasli, Ali Ihsan Aydin

    Saturday 14, 2005
    zaman.com

    Opposition rises from Brussels to the comments that The European Court
    of Human Rights (ECHR) left the conclusive verdict on the re-trial of
    terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan to the European Council Ministers
    Committee.

    According to diplomatic sources talking to Zaman, the Court wanted a
    re-trial for Ocalan. The same sources, who said that the duty of the
    Ministers Committee is not to comment on EHCR verdicts, warned: "the
    EHCR Grand Chamber advised Turkey to re-try him or re-open the
    case. This does not mean that the end result will differ in the case
    of a re-trial." But it is noted that Turkey can extend the process at
    the Ministers Committee as it did before in the Titina Loizidou case,
    and if the verdict is not applied, the European Council willexert
    pressure on Turkey. The diplomatic sources in Brussels agree that the
    best scenario for Turkey at this point is to re-try the PKK leader as
    soon as possible. Reportedly, there have been comments such as 'if
    Turkey lobbies at the Ministers Committee and avoids trying him again
    this will empower those opposed to in Europe'. Amanda Akcakoca, a
    Turkey specialist at the European Policy Center (EPC), a highly
    esteemed think tank in Brussels, claims that the best choice for
    Turkey is to try Ocalan again as soon as possible It is disadvantageous
    to even attempt to make the Ministers Committee make a different
    decision. Akcakoca said that Turkey's interpreting the EHCR verdict
    as "not to try him again" or trying to make the Committee decide in
    this way will lead people to think that "Turkey does not want to judge
    anyone fairly." She also said that Turkey has already lost prestige
    over the Armenian Genocide and Cyprus issues. Akcakoca says there is
    nothing to be afraid of since the verdict will not change even if
    Ocalan is tried again and added that not retrying him will suggest
    that nationalism is increasing in Turkey, and that it will not be seen
    favorably European public opinion. She used Croatia as an example. The
    EU delayed negotiations with Croatia because it did not surrender war
    criminal GeneralGotovina and did give weight Zagreb's claims that
    surrendering him would increase nationalist sentiment in Croatia and
    decrease support for EU membership. Diplomatic sources in Brussels say
    that the best choice for Turkey is to try Ocalan as soon as
    possible. A diplomat hinted that it is rather difficult for the
    Ministers Committee to make a decision different from the EHCR and
    that if Turkey tried for a different decision it would definitely not
    work.

    Two possibilities appeared in the process

    1- Applying to the High Criminal Court in accordance with the decision
    of ECHR, Ocalan's lawyers demand continuation of the case (restitution
    of the trial). The authority to decide (excluding some exceptions)
    belongs to the court given the previous decision. Hereupon the High
    Criminal Court decides if the restitution of the trial is admissible
    or not "without a court hearing". Ifthe Court decides to overrule the
    claim, the terrorist leaders' lawyers can give a "fast bill of
    exception". The method is provided in the Turkish Code of Criminal
    Procedure (CMUK). Therefore, it will be sent to one of the Ankara High
    Criminal Courts. The decisions arrived upon the rejection are
    irrevocable. (In other words, in such a case Ocalan will be able to go
    to the ECHR because he has used up the domestic legal options. If the
    court decides the admission of the verdict, the case will be opened
    then. The trial will restart and the decisions reached after the
    trial, the aspects of which the ECHR mentioned will be taken into
    consideration, will pass the regular process; its appeal will be
    possible. Among these technical methods, there is one more possible
    situation: If the demand for the restitution of the trial because of
    ECHR's verdict is rejected in the High Criminal Court due to the
    exception item of CMUK and this rejection is approved in the court,
    which will discuss this rejection of objection, Ocalan will then be
    able to go to ECHR directly.

    2- If the local court or the other high criminal court, which will
    discuss the overruling the objection, brings the suit in the
    Constitutional Court by claiming violation of article 90, this process
    will be held to end. If the Constitutional Court approves the claim,
    since the subject CMUK decision will be cancelled, the path to retrial
    will be opened. In this case the trial will be operated in the frame
    of the items in the first section. If the Constitutional Court decides
    that there was no violation, the demand to continue the case will be
    overruled by the local court, and in accordance with this verdict,
    Ocalan's lawyers will be able to go to the ECHR again.

    International law expert Professor Rusen Ergec from ULB University in
    Brussels warned the officials not to make statements like "he is
    guilty anyway" about Ocalan while a possible retrial is a current
    issue. Noting that no legal problem will occur if Ocalan is re-tried
    by eliminating the procedural mistakes determined by the ECHR, found
    guilty and given the same punishment, Ergec said: "If the authorities
    state that about the person to be re-tried is guilty, this may give
    rise to the claim of the violation of the second paragraph of article
    6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Then in the case
    thatOcalan receives the same sentence again, it may be rejected
    concerning this article."

    Brussels, Strasbourg

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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