Thought Crimes in Britain
PATA | 13.02.2003 23:43
A report on a recent court appearance by human rights activists from Turkey who were arrested under the Terrorism Act
Thought Crimes in Britain
The case against the six people who were arrested and charged in December last year under anti –terror legislation as part of an operation against political activists supporting the struggle for democracy in Turkey continued at Bow Street Magistrates on Monday 10th February.
The case had been adjourned four weeks previously at the request of the prosecution stating that they had not yet received the necessary paperwork. Although they have now received this paperwork they asked for a further four-week adjournment at the court this week claiming that they have not yet had enough time to read through it.
The judge agreed to this and set the next hearing for Monday 10th March back at Bow Street Magistrates. Whilst the judge was reviewing the bail conditions of the six defendants the prosecution, on the advice of the police, said that the defendants should not be allowed to possess, distribute or assist in the sale of a magazine titled Ekmek ve Adalet, which means Bread and Justice. Already the defendants are not allowed to possess, distribute or assist in the sale of a magazine called Vatan as part of their bail conditions. The prosecution maintains that Ekmek ve Adalet and Vatan are the same magazine when in fact they are two entirely different publications. On the two previous court hearings nothing was said about Ekmek ve Adalet by the prosecution. The judge agreed to this new demand from the police and prosecution and set the bail conditions accordingly. Both of these magazines are legal within Turkey and Europe, in fact they are both registered with the Turkish state and have to pay taxes to it. The decision today means that people are not allowed to read publications that are entirely legal and legitimate to buy, sell or own in any other country. Not even Turkey’s state security courts, which are no-jury military courts, have ever made such claims and this is not because they are prudent on such matters. This decision should be a concern to all democrats and is a campaign issue in its own right as well as being part of a wider provocation. During the proceedings the judge boasted on several occasions that he knew little about the case. At one point a senior officer from the anti-terrorist squad had to assist the prosecutor in directing the case and in turn the judge agreed with everything that the prosecution said. For those who attended the hearing it was a clear example of the incompetence and oppression of the British state and that it is the police who are calling the shots rather than the rule of law having primacy. This shows the importance of observing the trial.
A week doesn’t go by without there being high profile arrests under the Terrorism Act. The arrests are without exception reported in a manner that seriously jeopardize the prospect of the defendants receiving a fair trial. Not only has the British Prime Minister chosen to state his belief that people who are legally innocent until proven guilty are in fact guilty you also now have a situation where Colin Powell has used recent arrests in Britain as ‘evidence’ at a UN security council meeting to justify an attack on Iraq. To oppose the war on Iraq also means to oppose the Terrorism Act 2000 and its entire demagogy.
We called upon people to attend the next hearing at Bow Streets Magistrates Monday 10 March at 10.00am.
PATA People Against the Terrorism Act
Tel: 07818 442526
E-mail
pata@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the PATA e-list please send a message to: pata-subscribe@yahoo.com
The case against the six people who were arrested and charged in December last year under anti –terror legislation as part of an operation against political activists supporting the struggle for democracy in Turkey continued at Bow Street Magistrates on Monday 10th February.
The case had been adjourned four weeks previously at the request of the prosecution stating that they had not yet received the necessary paperwork. Although they have now received this paperwork they asked for a further four-week adjournment at the court this week claiming that they have not yet had enough time to read through it.
The judge agreed to this and set the next hearing for Monday 10th March back at Bow Street Magistrates. Whilst the judge was reviewing the bail conditions of the six defendants the prosecution, on the advice of the police, said that the defendants should not be allowed to possess, distribute or assist in the sale of a magazine titled Ekmek ve Adalet, which means Bread and Justice. Already the defendants are not allowed to possess, distribute or assist in the sale of a magazine called Vatan as part of their bail conditions. The prosecution maintains that Ekmek ve Adalet and Vatan are the same magazine when in fact they are two entirely different publications. On the two previous court hearings nothing was said about Ekmek ve Adalet by the prosecution. The judge agreed to this new demand from the police and prosecution and set the bail conditions accordingly. Both of these magazines are legal within Turkey and Europe, in fact they are both registered with the Turkish state and have to pay taxes to it. The decision today means that people are not allowed to read publications that are entirely legal and legitimate to buy, sell or own in any other country. Not even Turkey’s state security courts, which are no-jury military courts, have ever made such claims and this is not because they are prudent on such matters. This decision should be a concern to all democrats and is a campaign issue in its own right as well as being part of a wider provocation. During the proceedings the judge boasted on several occasions that he knew little about the case. At one point a senior officer from the anti-terrorist squad had to assist the prosecutor in directing the case and in turn the judge agreed with everything that the prosecution said. For those who attended the hearing it was a clear example of the incompetence and oppression of the British state and that it is the police who are calling the shots rather than the rule of law having primacy. This shows the importance of observing the trial.
A week doesn’t go by without there being high profile arrests under the Terrorism Act. The arrests are without exception reported in a manner that seriously jeopardize the prospect of the defendants receiving a fair trial. Not only has the British Prime Minister chosen to state his belief that people who are legally innocent until proven guilty are in fact guilty you also now have a situation where Colin Powell has used recent arrests in Britain as ‘evidence’ at a UN security council meeting to justify an attack on Iraq. To oppose the war on Iraq also means to oppose the Terrorism Act 2000 and its entire demagogy.
We called upon people to attend the next hearing at Bow Streets Magistrates Monday 10 March at 10.00am.
PATA People Against the Terrorism Act
Tel: 07818 442526
pata@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the PATA e-list please send a message to:
pata-subscribe@yahoo.com
PATA