6 Released Within KCK Case Including Berktay
Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court released 6 defendants pending a trial.
For 27 months, 205 defendants (with 83 jailed) have been standing trial for charges related to being an “illegal organization”.
The names of released defendants are as follows: Mehmet Cevat İnce, Nizamettin Açıkça, Seda Aktaş, Hatice Vural, Ayşe Berktay, Meryem Yiğit.
The next hearing was set to January 30.
Berktay previously awarded by PEN
Berktay is a member of the pro-Kurdish Party for Peace and Democracy (BDP), which has 36 elected representatives in the Parliament. On 7 October 2011, she has been arrested for "being a KCK illegal organization member".
Contributed to the formation of World Tribunal on Iraq and helped to organize its last hearing in Istanbul in 2005, Berktay also observed the KCK hearings prior to her arrest due to similar charges.
On the 10th anniversary of Iraq Invasion, BRussells Tribunal awarded Ayşe Berktay with its solidarity award.
She is also the recipient of 2012 PEN Duygu Asena Award. (NV/BM)