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Sat, 08. Jul 2006
ADANA (DIHA) - Sabri Kahraman, former head of Adana Department of Human
Rights Association (HRA) was sentenced to 10 year imprisonment and 416 YTL
fine because of his speech that he made no 1st September, the World Peace
Day, in which he used the expression 'Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah
Ocalan' and he made 'praise for the organisation and its leader.'
The law case against 7 directors from Adana Department of HRA, at Adana High
Criminal Court was concluded. The reason for the case was: Abdullah Ocalan
Posters and yellow-red-green flags were opened, and slogans praising Ocalan
were chanted at the 1st September the World Peace Day activity organised by
HRA Adana at Mimar Sinan Outdoor Theatre on 3rd September. The court,
deciding on the acquittal of the HRA Adana Department Secretary Ethem
Aciýkalin, association members Gonul Yolcu, Kadir Dal, Makbule Bektas, Hasan
Beliren and Fatih Gokce, condemned Sabri Kahraman, the HRA Adana Department
director at that time, to 10 year imprisonment and 416 YTL fine depending on
the reason that he used the words "Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Ocalan"
and so "making a speech that praised the organisation and the leader of the
organisation."
The decision will be opposed to
Stating that the decision is not compatible with freedom of thought, and
that it is a punishment against it, Kahraman said that he would oppose to
the verdict by way of his lawyers. Saying that human rights and freedom are
restricted, Kahraman added: "I think that this decision is deficient and
untrue. We talked about violations of human rights. We drew attention to the
cases of isolation in prisons for Abdullah Ocalan at first and all the
political detainees. If we can't talk about these in this country as
supporters of human rights, who else will do it? Freedom of though and
expression is meant to be restricted. This verdict is a sign of this."
If the verdict is endorsed at the Court of Appeals, Kahraman will go to