On 30 January British police arrested 28-year-old Turkish refugee Onder Dolutas at his home in London, following a request from the Turkish authorities for his extradition. The following day Bow Street Magistrates court released him on conditional bail. His case will now be heard on 14 March.

Onder has been in Britain since May 2001 and was granted refugee status in January 2003. From 1995 to 2000 he had been a student of maritime engineering at the University of Istanbul, where he participated in the democratic activities of the university’s students’ union.

On 1 May 1998 he was arrested and charged with membership of an illegal organisation and being involved in causing explosions. Onder has always denied these charges and continues to do so. He was held in prison for three months, but subsequently released. The charges were never proceeded with.

He was then arrested again in April 1999 and again charged with membership of an illegal organisation. He was released on bail after nine days in police detention. At this point Onder realised that if he remained in Turkey he would continue to be arrested, detained and harassed. He therefore left and came to Britain where he made a successful asylum claim, citing all these events. A Turkish court subsequently sentenced him in his absence to 12½ years’ based on the testimony of people who had turned state’s evidence in return for reductions to their own terms of imprisonment,

But after three years trying to rebuild his life in this country, Onder Dolutas is now threatened with extradition. The Turkish authorities have requested his arrest on the basis of the same charges that were originally laid against him in 1998 and never proceeded with, and which the British government has accepted form part of his claim for asylum.

Turkey’s disregard for human rights is well-known, as is Britain’s selective approach to the human rights’ records of countries it does business with. The attack on Onder Dolutas is an attack on the rights of all migrants and refugees who have sought refuge in Britain for fear of persecution, torture, imprisonment and death in their own countries. Everyone who cares about democracy and freedom of political expression must oppose it.

Come to the picket of Bow Street on 14 March – bring banners, placards and as many people as possible. Let the British and Turkish states know that Onder Dolutas does not stand alone and that an injury to one is an injury to all!

If your organisation wants to sponsor the campaign or for more info contact  stop_extradition@yahoo.co.uk



SUPPORTED BY FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM!, INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF PEOPLES’ STRUGGLE, CONFEDERATION OF WORKERS FROM TURKEY IN EUROPE, ATILIM