Turkish human rights activist sentenced under article 301
On June 17, renowned Turkish human rights activist Ragip Zarakolu stood trial and was sentenced to prison term of six months under article 301.
Earlier, four eminent members of the European Parliament - Mrs Maria Eleni Koppa and Mr Jacques Toubon, both vice-presidents of the delegation EU-Turkey, Mr Patrick Gaubert, vice-president of the sub-committee on Human Rights and president of Licra, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, former minister of Foreign Affairs and recent candidate for the Cypriot presidency - have recently sent a letter to the Turkish Minister of Justice, Mr Mehmet Ali Sahin, in order to inform him of the Unions concern about developments in Ragip Zarakolu's trial.
Mr Zarakolu is a publisher and militates for several years in favor of Human Rights in Turkey. He is one of the founding members of the Turkish Association for Human Rights and he forms part of those dissidents prosecuted under 301 article for having "insulted the State and the Republic" and "the memory of Ataturk".
Mr Zarakolu is prosecuted because he published two books on the Armenian genocide, the founding act and the major taboo of the Turkish state and society. One of the books deals with the rescue of an Armenian family by Turks during the Genocide.
Earlier, four eminent members of the European Parliament - Mrs Maria Eleni Koppa and Mr Jacques Toubon, both vice-presidents of the delegation EU-Turkey, Mr Patrick Gaubert, vice-president of the sub-committee on Human Rights and president of Licra, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, former minister of Foreign Affairs and recent candidate for the Cypriot presidency - have recently sent a letter to the Turkish Minister of Justice, Mr Mehmet Ali Sahin, in order to inform him of the Unions concern about developments in Ragip Zarakolu's trial.
Mr Zarakolu is a publisher and militates for several years in favor of Human Rights in Turkey. He is one of the founding members of the Turkish Association for Human Rights and he forms part of those dissidents prosecuted under 301 article for having "insulted the State and the Republic" and "the memory of Ataturk".
Mr Zarakolu is prosecuted because he published two books on the Armenian genocide, the founding act and the major taboo of the Turkish state and society. One of the books deals with the rescue of an Armenian family by Turks during the Genocide.
