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Political Asylum for the Kurdish fighter Zulkuf Murat BORA

Edinburgh IMC | 25.06.2005 21:55 | Migration | Repression

Bahoz has been on hunger strike since the 17th of May. The Greek Minister of Public Order promised to grant him asylum for one year due to “humanitarian reasons”, as long as he gave up his hunger strike and his right to claim political asylum. Bahoz has refused such “humanitarian” help from the State and continues his struggle for political asylum. Since the 19th of June he has stopped taking any sugar or salt in his water. As a result, he is now in the hospital in a very critical condition.

Bahoz (Zulkuf Murat) Bora was born in Chani, a small town of the region of Diyarbakir in turkish Kurdistan. As many other members of his family he was part of the National Liberating Fight of Kurdistan. One of his brothers is a recognized political refugee in Denmark while another has been arrested several times by the turkish authorities with charges pending against him due to his activity as a member of HADEP (democratic party of the people).
As a result of political repression Zulkuf Murat BORA came to Greece in October 1995 and applied for political asylum (nr. 9135/26107).

Zulkuf Murat BORA is a member of the Liberating Party of Kurdistan (PRK-Rizgari) and because of his political action his name is included in the charge presented by the Court of State Security of Diyarbakir against his brother in May 1999. He reapplied for political asylum on 6-6-2001 but has received no answer.

3 years ago, on 11th of April 2002, Bahoz was again on a hunger strike for the same reason, which lasted 22 days. He decided to finish it after a letter that he received from the Minister of Public Order that his case will be "reviewed". Nothing has proceeded since then.

On 17th of May Zulkuf Murat Bora (Bahoz) started his hunger strike right next to the University Administration Building of Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The aim of the hunger strike was to convince the Greek Government to offer him a political asylum, which he's got the right to get for many years now (the Comittee has given a positive response), but since then all the Ministers of Public Order haven't replied to him, even though they are obliged by certain laws that were co-signed by them to reply during 3 to 6 months.

Currently the Greek Minister of Public Order promised to Bahoz that he's going to offer him a political asylum for one year for "humanitarian reasons". Bahoz won't accept it. Even more, since 15th of June he refuses to add some sugar or salt in his water, which results to put his life in danger. Before he got into the hospital he declared: "I am going to deny any medical treatment (drip or medicines). I won't tollerate the barbarism against the refugees. I am calling out for solidarity to every citizen who feels either anarchist, either leftist, or a democrat in general".

Solidarity is coming from everywhere. Many comrades of him in Turkey are expected to go on hunger strike too as well as taking other forms of action in solidarity with Bahoz.

Edinburgh IMC