The members of the Association of Human Rights who attended the transfer of the body of Levon Ekmekdjian, his family demanded, noted that over the formalities which lasted two years, we had to make non approaches required by the regulations; they stressed the illegality of his trial and execution.

The body of Levon Ekmekdjian who was executed in Ankara, was returned to his family in France, two years after the start of the procedures initiated at the request of his family by the Association of Human Rights (IHD).

The body of Levon Ekmekdjian which was exhumed Cebeci Asri Cemetery in Ankara December 23, 2015 and taken to Paris will be planted after a DNA check, during a ceremony.

The Istanbul branch of the Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Commission branch of the IHD held today (January 7) a press conference about it.

Eren Keskin, lawyer of the family of Ekmekdjian, said the formalities for approval to transfer the body, which would have had to take a day, lasted two years because of barriers erected; she noted that being deprived of a lawyer and his right to express himself at his trial, Levon Ekmekdjian was sentenced to the death penalty.

The formalities, which would not have taken more than a day, it lasted two years.

Levon Ekmekdjian, born in 1958, was the child of an immigrant family in Lebanon after the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Member of the Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), he was arrested as a suspect in the attack on the Esenboga Airport in Ankara, August 7, 1982, during which, according to figures officials, nine people were killed and 72 injured; Turkey was at that time under the military junta.

Ekmekdjian, imprisoned in the Mamak prison had been executed January 29, 1983, the day after the conviction to the death sentence had been served.

The family of Levon Ekmekdjian in 2013 had filed a case with the Commission IHD members who were in Paris for a conference and had informed them of a process for the transfer of the body of Levon Ekmekdjian in Paris.

Keskin was taken as a family lawyer and IHD members had discovered the body of Levon Ekmekdjian was Cebeci Asri Cemetery buried in Ankara.

Although the transfer of the body, since the location of the body through the Cemeteries Branch was made, authorization and a declaration of the Health Directorate of the Province stating that no public health problem was posed would been enough, things did not go normally.

After two years at cross-correspondences, even not provided for in administrative procedures, among various levels of internal affairs departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs, the remains of Levon Ekmekdjian were exhumed from his grave and transported to Paris .

“An execution and punishment illegal death sentence”

Meral Cildir, reading a statement by the IHD, said that the execution and sentencing were illegal.

“He did not advocate. The ability to defend itself was not given to him. And he could call, with no lawyer.

“In his statement he expressed regret and according to the law in force at the time, he would not have been performed. Despite this, Ekmekdjian was executed without delay.

“The date of the decision approving its implementation is January 28, 1983. Levon Ekmekdjian was executed on the morning of the next day, January 29.

“At that time, it was the state of emergency imposed by the fascist junta that reigned, but Levon Ekmekdjian was special treatment because in the eyes of power, he was not a” terrorist “but a” Armenian terrorist “.

“We must tell the truth about Esenboga”

Cildir drew attention to the fact that the truth about the fighting in Esenboga was not revealed.

“The crucial details about the event and have been kept secret for many years regarded as state secrets. Nevertheless, evidence has been made public in very small circles, and non-official documents are accessible. Shedding light on the event has not been made yet. It is not known if autopsies were done on dead or technical studies were made.

“The first time an eyewitness who had been held hostage that day spoke, it was in” The Raid Esenboga “, a documentary by CNN Turk in 2004. He said he n ‘Never forget that finding himself face to face with a police officer, he had immediately opened fire on him when it was trying to escape through the window he had broken. It was a policeman who had shot him. How others were killed must be reported, and the truth must be revealed. “

Beyza Kural isatanbul

BIA News Desk

January 7, 2016

Translation Gilbert Béguian

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http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/170877-levon-ekmekciyan-s-funeral-by-his-family-after-32-years