Trial against Lawyer Rişvanoğlu Postponed again

The trial against lawyer Şiar Rişvanoğlu before the Special Authority 6^th High Criminal Court of Adana (eastern tip of Turkey's Mediterranean coast) was continued on 11 January. Rişvanoğlu, former Adana Branch President of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), is sued for three statements he made on the Kurdish Roj TV channel.

The expert report expected for this hearing has not reached the court yet. Thus, the case was adjourned to 10 March to wait for the expert opinion on the results of the "TV Band".

Rişvanoğlu is also the editorial manager of Gerçek newspaper and the Revolutionary Marxism ('Devrimci Marksizm') magazine. At the Tuesday hearing, he rejected the charges pressed against him again. 28 lawyers attended the hearing for Rişvanoğlu's defence.

The lawyer and journalist if facing a three-count sentence according to Article 220 of the Turkish Criminal Court (TCK) (Establishing organizations for the purpose of criminal activity). He could be sentenced to a maximum jail term of 13.5 years.

ÇHD Adana Branch: Oppressed opponents of the system are prosecuted

In a program on Roj TV on 3 May 2010, Rişvanoğlu said, "A commission has to be required to confidentially investigate all political murders in Kurdistan, all conspiracies, the massacres of the Botaş death wells, mass murders and rapes". A case was opened against the lawyer in astronomical speed.The first hearing was held on 16 September the same year.

The ÇHD Adana Branch made a press release in front of the courthouse subsequent to the hearing on 11 January. It was said, "The Rişvanoğlu trial is a political trial. None of his actions constituted a crime. All groups oppressed due to their personal political identity and their opposition to the systems are prosecuted".

"The country almost turned into an open prion"

The statement was read out in Turkish by lawyer Reyhan Kayışlı and in Kurdish by her colleague Özgür Eser.

The press release emphasized the importance of the case against the lawyer, "This trial carries importance in terms of silencing and taming the voice of the defence in the highly increased number of litigations against lawyers. On the other hand, it is important regarding the extension of the oppressive politics against the Kurdish people and the solidarising revolutionary circles".

"Many of our colleagues are facing the threat of punishment merely on the grounds of their opinion or divergent personality".

"Dozens of trials are pending against our colleagues like Rişvanoğlu, such as Filiz Kalaycı, Hasan Anlar, Halil İbrahim Vargün, Murat Vargün, Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Taylan Tanay, Sevil Aracı and Mehmet Altuntaş to name just a few. At the same time, lawyer Ali Bozan started to serve his prison sentence of six years and three months handed down by the Adana 6^th High Criminal Court".

"Nowadays, the existence and operation of Special Authority High Criminal Courts (DGM) is one of the biggest obstacles before personal rights and freedom. These oppressions of the social opposition has almost turned our country into an open prison".

"We will not remain silent on the efforts to demote the professional following up by depriving lawyers of their social responsibility and of their right to speak up on the country's agenda. We will not remain silent on efforts of violent oppression to ignore the demands of the Kurdish people, on police violence, torture and on the injustice of the DGMs with their left over attitudes", the lawyers argued. (EÇ/EÖ/VK)

Source: Adana Günaydın newspaper.