‘If Israel’s Tzipi Livni is not a war criminal, why does she refuse to defend herself in court?’

July 5, 2016 By administrator

Former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. © Andrew Kelly / Reuters

Israel is treating British law with contempt because it doesn’t think Tzipi Livni would get a fair trial, if it ever got to that, Professor Kamel Hawwash, vice chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told RT.

The UK and Israel have found themselves on the brink of a diplomatic spat after British police summoned Israel’s former foreign minister Tzipi Livni for questioning over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The move provoked a furious response from the Israeli government, which said it is greatly concerned by the UK’s “political abuse”.

However, the matter was later dropped after the UK granted Tzipi Livni diplomatic immunity.

RT: Why do you think the police did this?

Kamel Hawwash: What we have here, is someone who was in office during a war on Gaza in which over 1,400 people were killed by Israeli weaponry. Collective punishment is no justification for killing them. And this woman was part of the cabinet which approved this, and then went around the world telling everyone what a wonderful operation it was and that it was necessary to protect Israel…The UK has a law – Universal Jurisdiction – which still, despite the change, allows people here to bring cases against suspected war criminals. That is actually a very honorable and moral thing we have here. Unfortunately, though, the Foreign Office shamefully decided to waste the time of a foreign minister… because they had to arrange an ad-hoc meeting for him or her to sit with Tzipi Livni in order for them to issue diplomatic immunity. If Ms. Livni is not a war criminal, why didn’t she accept and agree to defend herself in a court of law and that would be the end of it if she is exonerated. Of course, if she is found guilty, then she should pay for her crimes.

RT: Why in your opinion is the UK trying so hard to retain relations with Israel? What makes Israel an important ally?

KM: The UK has a long tradition of saying that Israel is an ally. And that is fine. As long as that ally isn’t conducting illegal acts, isn’t in illegal occupation, doesn’t abduct children in the middle of the night, doesn’t put them up in front of military courts. It is not a normal state which is just doing normal business. It is a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ state where you have a part where there is some form of democracy there, start-up businesses do very well and you can understand people wanting to work with it. But what we must say to Israel is “We want to work with you, but only when you stop your illegal acts and especially when you stop murdering children in the middle of the night in Gaza.”

RT: Why is it any of the UK’s business? Isn’t it something for the UN to be looking at?

KM: Universal Jurisdiction exists as a law in this country. A similar law exists in Spain and other countries. Citizens of a particular state, if they have recourse to law… and asked that someone who is suspected of committing war crimes somewhere else is questioned, I think we should all support it. Because surely none of us want war criminals to be walking the streets of Britain. So that’s what it is about, it is about saying “Don’t come here if you are a war criminal because if you do come here, the law allows us to question you.” And as I said, if she is not guilty, she will be found not guilty. That shows you that Israel treats British law with contempt because it obviously doesn’t think that Tzipi would get a fair trial, if it ever got to that.

Turkey: Human rights activist sent to court for arrest for supporting press freedom campaign

June 20, 2016 By administrator

A human rights activist was sent to court on June 20 for arrest after supporting a campaign in solidarity with Turkish daily Özgür Gündem, which was started on World Press Freedom Day, news portal Bianet has reported.

Turkey Human Rights Foundation (THIV) head Prof. Şebnem Korur Fincancı was sent to court for arrest on charges of making terror propaganda when she served as the editor-in-chief of Özgür Gündem for one day on May 29 as a part of the “Editor-in-chief on Duty” campaign.

Financı called the decision “an effort to break solidarity.”

“This is an expected situation. It is also disturbing to send people to court for arrest by hand-picking [them],” Financı told Bianet.

Meanwhile, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu and journalist Ahmet Nesin also testified to the terror and organized crimes prosecutor for taking part in the campaign.

A total of 44 prominent journalists, including Hasan Cemal, Şeyhmus Diken, Tuğrul Eryılmaz and Ayşe Düzkan served as one-day editors-in-chief during the campaign, while 37 of them were probed for their support.

Özgür Gündem started the campaign on May 3 to provide solidarity and defend press freedom against a number of investigations it faced.

Turkey: Court receives ‘Sledgehammer’ coup plot indictment

June 9, 2016 By administrator

Turkish court ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency,

A probe into the “Balyoz” (sledgehammer) coup plot case has been concluded with a prosecutor’s office concluding a 276-page indictment that accuses journalist Mehmet Baransu of being the prime suspect and several journalistic colleagues of being suspects.

In addition to Baransu, journalists Ahmet Altan, Yıldıray Oğur, Yasemin Çongar and Tuncay Opçin were included as suspects in the indictment, with Ahmet Zeki Üçok, Hakan Büyük, Çetin Doğan, Kadir Sağdıç, Ahmet Bertan Nogaylaroğlu, Nedim Ulusan and the Turkish General Staff acting as plaintiffs.

Baransu is charged with crimes of “forming an organization to commit crime,” “damaging documents that are related to the state’s security as well as using them for purposes that are different than their original purpose and seizing and stealing them with deceit,” “revealing information concerning the state’s security and political well-being that should have been kept confidential” and “forming and administrating an armed terror organization and making terrorist propaganda.”

With the court’s approval of the indictment, the suspects are expected be in the dock in the following days.

Balyoz was an alleged military coup plot targeting the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and drafted in 2003. The military is alleged to have planned drastic measures to foment unrest in the country in order to remove the AKP from power. The measures included bombing two major mosques in Istanbul, an assault on a military museum by people disguised as religious extremists and the raising of tension with Greece through an attack on a Turkish plane that was to be blamed on the Aegean neighbor.

June/09/2016

ECHR court fines Turkey in wiretapping case during Ergenekon probe

June 7, 2016 By administrator

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has fined Turkey 7,500 euros for violating privacy through telephone wiretaps in disciplinary proceedings against a public prosecutor during the infamous Ergenekon investigation, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The court ruled that public prosecutor Hamdi Ünal Karabeyoğlu’s “right to respect for privacy and family life” was violated in the use of information obtained by telephone wiretapping. It also ruled that his “right to effective remedy” was violated.

Karabeyoğlu had appealed to the ECHR over his case in Turkey, which was part of the Ergenekon investigation – a massive probe into hundreds of senior military personnel, journalists and politicians on charges of attempting to stage a coup against the Turkish government.

The ECHR found that Karabeyoǧlu had received “the minimum degree of protection required by the rule of law in a democratic society,” as his telephone wiretap was found to be based on reasonable suspicion and so was carried out in line with the relevant legislation.

However, the court also ruled that “the use of the information thus obtained in the context of a disciplinary investigation” was not in line with the law and that the relevant legislation was violated both when the information was used for “purposes other than the one for which it had been gathered” and when it was not “destroyed within the 15-day time limit after the criminal investigation had ended.”

Erdoğan says he ‘does not respect, will not obey’ top court ruling on arrested journalists

February 28, 2016 By administrator

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized the recent Constitutional Court ruling that paved the way for the release of two arrested journalists, saying he “does not accept or respect” the decision and vowing not to “obey” it, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“This incident has nothing to do with freedom of expression, it is a case of spying,” Erdoğan said on Feb. 28 regarding the top court’s ruling on Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dündar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül.

Dündar and Gül were released early on Feb. 26 after 92 days in jail on terrorism charges, hours after the country’s top court’s ruled that their arrest had violated their rights.

The Constitutional Court ruled on Feb. 25 that their pre-trial detention had violated the fundamental rights of Dündar and Gül. Following the decision, Istanbul 14th Court of Serious Crimes ordered their release but subjected them to an overseas travel ban.

“The media cannot have limitless freedom … These stories have included all kinds of attacks against this country’s president,” Erdoğan also said.

Dündar and Gül stand accused of “espionage threatening state security” and “supporting an armed terrorist organization” over stories published in Cumhuriyet about National Intelligence Agency (MİT) trucks allegedly sending weapons to unknown groups in Syria.

The two men were arrested by an Istanbul court on Nov. 26 last year, triggering reactions from press organizations, NGOs and many Western countries.

The indictment, which was completed on Jan. 27, demands the penalty of life in prison, penal servitude for life.

Court Acquits Turkish Suspects Involved in Sarin Gas Supply to Syria

December 30, 2015 By administrator

A Turkish court in Adana acquitted five Turkish suspects accused of procuring chemicals used in production of sarin gas, Zaman reported.

In May 2013, media reported that Turkish special service officers arrested members of Syrian opposition group who were in possession of two kilograms of sarin.

Moscow conducted a thorough investigation of the incident and expressed hope that Turkey would provide information regarding the detention of the militants. However, two months later, all detainees were released pending trial.

Later on when the court established that the materials they were trying to obtain could in fact be used to produce sarin, a warrant for the arrest was issued.

The case sparked political controversy when the deputy of the Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Eren Erdem said in an interview with RT that Turkey knew about Islamic State-bound shipments of deadly sarin gas passing through its territory.

Eren Erdem was accused of treason by Ankara’s top prosecutor and criminal investigation was opened against him.

But after addressing the parliament and saying that the Turkish president had started a smear campaign against him, Erdem went even further by accusing the Turkish authorities of complicity, stating that the government pressured the prosecutor of the case into toning down the accusations and ending the trial rapidly.

The prosecutor of the case involving the five Turkish suspects recently denied Erdem’s accusations in a statement, saying the Turkish suspects were released because they were not found to be in possession of the materials used for sarin production, while rejecting the idea that the justice minister pressured him into bringing the case to a close immediately.

Two CHP deputies said that the Turkish government was out to get Eren Erdem and had launched a lynching campaign against the deputy.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Ali Şeker stated that Turkish authorities must answer questions in connection with the incident.

Turkish newspaper editor in court for ‘espionage’ after revealing weapon convoy to Syrian militants

November 26, 2015 By administrator

A Turkish prosecutor asked a court to imprison the editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper pending trial for espionage and treason. In May, the outlet published photos of weapons it said were then transferred to Syria by Turkey’s intelligence agency.

Besides the editor, Can Dündar, the prosecution said it is seeking the same pre-trial restrictions for Cumhuriyet’s representative in Ankara, Erdem Gül.

Dündar arrived at an Istanbul court on Thursday, saying that he and his colleague “came here to defend journalism.”

“We came here to defend the right of the public to obtain the news and their right to know if their government is feeding them lies. We came here to show and to prove that governments cannot engage in illegal activity and defend this,” Dündar was cited by Today’s Zaman.

The articles, published on Cumhuriyet’s front page in May, claimed that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) is smuggling weapons in trucks into Syria and was caught doing so twice in 2014. The trucks were allegedly stopped and searched by police, with photos and videos of their contents obtained by Cumhuriyet.

According to the paper, the trucks were carrying six steel containers, with 1,000 artillery shells, 50,000 machine gun rounds, 30,000 heavy machine gun rounds and 1,000 mortar shells. The arms were reportedly delivered to extremist groups fighting against the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, whom Ankara wants ousted from power.

The Turkish authorities denied the allegations, saying that the trucks were carrying aid to Syrian ethnic Turkmen tribespeople and labeled their interception an act of “treason” and “espionage.”

Turkey: Istanbul court orders arrest of US-based preacher Gulen

November 9, 2015 By administrator

The court has also ordered the arrest of former police officer Uslu in connection with an on going ‘parallel state’ probe

ISTANBUL

A court in Istanbul ordered the arrests in absentia of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen and ex-police officer Emre Uslu in connection with a “parallel state” probe.

Gulen, who is self-exiled in the U.S, has been accused of leading a “terrorist organization” and plotting to overthrow the elected Turkish government.

The network led by Gulen is accused of wiretapping senior Turkish government figures, including the prime minister, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief, Cabinet ministers as well as journalists through serving state officials.

The Istanbul court decided that the first trial of the case would be held early February next year and also issued red notices for both suspects.

The indictment against Gulen and Uslu is 10,529-pages long. A total of 55 out of 122 suspects in the probe have been arrested.

This is not the first time that a Turkish court has issued arrest warrants for Gulen and Uslu.

On Oct. 19, Istanbul’s High Penal Court issued an arrest warrant for Gulen and his aide Sinan Dursun for “attempting to stage a coup, establishing and masterminding an armed organization and political espionage” in Turkey.

On Feb. 24, a Turkish criminal court in Istanbul issued an arrest warrant for Gulen and Uslu, again related to the “parallel state” probe.

The “parallel state” or “parallel structure” refers to a purported group of Turkish bureaucrats and senior officials embedded in the country’s institutions, including the judiciary and police, who are allegedly trying to undermine the elected government.

The ongoing operation against this network has resulted in the detention of dozens of police officers and the reassignment of hundreds of other officers across Turkey.

Source: aa.com.tr

Turkey: Erdogan’s nemesis formally returned to court

September 19, 2015 By administrator

Turkish justice has formally returned to court the sworn enemy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the imam Fethullah Gülen, claiming against him to 34 years in prison for terrorism, reported the pro-government news agency Anatolia.

The preacher, who lives in the US, is being prosecuted for “constitution of a criminal armed gang”, forgery and defamation by terrorism prosecutor of Istanbul, who also asked her incarceration, said Anatolia. Turkish justice had from December 2014 issued an arrest warrant against Mr. Gülen but the US has refused to extradite him.

Long time ally of the Islamic-conservative regime in power since 2002 in Turkey, the imam is accused Erdogan of trying to overthrow the piloting an extensive anti-corruption investigation launched in late 2013 against the current president and his family. The preacher, who runs a large network of schools, businesses and NGOs called Hizmet (“service” in Turkish), has always denied the allegations, denouncing a “witch hunt.”

In addition to Mr. Gülen himself, the Istanbul’s prosecutors also returned to court the owner of the TV channel Samanyolu, five former senior members of the police and 26 other people. All suspected of being close to the Gülen nebula, face up to 26 years in prison.

For nearly two years, the head of state has made many purges against followers of Hizmet, particularly in the police and justice or thousands of officials were transferred, dismissed or even imprisoned. His government has also launched numerous legal proceedings against what he calls a “parallel state”.

Earlier this month, police launched an operation against a holding close to the Gülen nebula, the Ipek media group. Wednesday, she also questioned the CEO of the industrial group Boydak, Boydak Memduh, which was released Thursday, reported the Doğan news agency.

Turkish cyberattack suspect appears in New York court

June 24, 2015 By administrator

NEW YORK – Agence France-Presse,

Ercan Fındıkoğlu is seen in this picture under a blanket of money

A 33-year-old Turkish man extradited to New York appeared in court June 24 on charges that he organized three cyber attacks costing the global financial system $55 million, prosecutors said.

Ercan Fındıkoğlu is accused of hacking into financial institutions, stealing debit card data and organizing fraudulent ATM withdrawals on a massive scale across the world from 2010 to 2013.

In just two days in February 2013, so-called cashing cells withdrew $40 million from ATMs in 24 countries, including $2.4 million in New York in under 11 hours, US officials alleged.

Fındıkoğlu appeared before a magistrate in a federal court in Brooklyn on June 24, officials confirmed to AFP.

He was arrested in December 2013 in Frankfurt and extradited to the United States on June 23, officials said.

Members of a New York cell who allegedly took part were charged in May 2013, prosecutors said.

Kelly Currie, acting US attorney for the eastern district of New York, praised the secret service for investigating and German authorities for their role in the extradition.

June/24/2015