Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Holland: Dutch FM on prosecution of T. Demirer in Turkey

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Holland: Dutch FM on prosecution of T. Demirer in Turkey

    Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAON)
    Address: Weesperstraat 91
    2574 VS The Hague, The Netherlands
    Telephone: +31704490209
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: www.faon.nl
    Contact: M. Hakhverdian

    PRESS RELEASE

    Dutch FM asks clarification on the prosecution of Temel Demirer

    The Hague, 1 November 2008 - Mr. Verhagen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
    the Netherlands, has asked his Turkish colleague for clarification on the
    decision of the Turkish Minister of Justice to give permission to prosecute
    writer Temel Demirer. This is indicated in answers of Mr. Verhagen to
    written questions submitted on 26 September 2008 by the Dutch Parliament.
    The questions were presented by Members of four factions in Dutch
    Parliament, namely the Christian Union, the CDA (Christian Democrats), the
    SGP (Political Reformed Party) and the VVD (Liberal Party) after a report by
    the Federation of Armenian Organisations in Netherlands (FAON) that Mr.
    Demirer was being prosecuted because of his statements on the Armenian
    Genocide.

    Mr. Verhagen has also expressed his concern publicly during a speech in the
    Bosphorus Conference on the lack of progress by Turkey in, among others,
    sphere of the freedom of expression. He has pointed to a clear relationship
    of this state of affairs with the application of Article 301.

    The statements by Mr. Demirer were made during a commemorative service after
    the murder of Hrant Dink in 2006, when he said that Dink had to pay with his
    life for speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Dink was killed by
    a Turkish nationalist after he had been condemned by court on the basis of
    Article 301 because of his statements on the Armenian Genocide.

    Mr. Verhagen notifies in his response that Turkish Minister of Justice has
    so far issued permission for prosecution in 44 out of 311 cases, which have
    been laid before him. The majority of them are cases which were under
    adjudication before the amendment of Article 301. The arguments that the
    Turkish government puts forth for the issuance of permission to persecute
    these 44 cases are as yet not known. Mr. Verhagen is due to be informed
    further about this.

    In addition, Mr. Verhagen asserts in his answers that the application of
    Article 301 shall stringently be dealt with in the appreciation that
    Netherlands is going to give on the Progress Report due to be published
    shortly by the European Commission in connection with Turkey. Netherlands
    will also keep a strict watch so that the European norms and conditions are
    compiled with if the chapters on ³Judicial power and the Fundamental
    Freedoms² (Chapter 23) and ³Justice, Freedom and Security² (Chapter 24) will
    come up for discussion in the framework of EU accession negotiations. This
    applies to the political dialogue as well.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X