(WiPC/IFEX) – Fears have heightened that Kurdish publisher Abdullah Keskin may be served a lengthy prison term following a court hearing on 25 June 2002. Keskin has been on trial since April under Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law for the Turkish publication of a book by United States author and former “Washington Post” correspondent […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – Fears have heightened that Kurdish publisher Abdullah Keskin may be served a lengthy prison term following a court hearing on 25 June 2002. Keskin has been on trial since April under Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law for the Turkish publication of a book by United States author and former “Washington Post” correspondent Jonathan Randal. Entitled “After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness? My Encounters in Kurdistan”, the book was originally published in English in 1997 and subsequently also translated into Farsi, Italian and Arabic. The charges are of advocating “separatism” and relate to references to the term “Kurdistan” in several instances in the book.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– protesting the trial against Keskin as being in direct violation of his right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, ratified by Turkey
Appeals To
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit
Basbakanlik
Cankaya
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476
His Excellency Hikmet Sami Turk
Minister of Justice
Adalet Bakaligi
06440 Bakaniklar
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90312 417 3954
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
