Century's Legal Bureau Omer Avni Mah. Inonu cad. Dumen Sk. Dumen Apt. 3/12 Gumussuyu/ Istanbul

Press Release

Urgent Update II

Istanbul

30 April 1999

Ridiculous 1st Court Session in Ocalan case: Lawyers severely injured by police forces

The first session of the Ankara State Security Court in the case A. Ocalan vs. Turkey went in a "ridiculous" fashion according to the words of Lawyer Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu. The so-called 'families of the martyrs', relatives of the fallen Turkish soldiers who have been brought in by the prosecution as plaintiffs, cursed at the lawyers and threw stones which they had succeeded to bring into the courtroom.

Lawyers Niyazi Bulgan and Irfan Dundar were beaten by uniformed police inside the court1s premises. Without having the chance to make any public statement, all of the lawyers of the defense were brought to the police station adjoining the court with the reason that their safety must be ensured. Outside the court, crowds of supporters of the Nationalist Movement Party MHP (Grey Wolves) were waiting with rods and stones to lynch the lawyers of Mr. Ocalan who was absent today in the first session of his trial.

The police declared they would bring the lawyers in a big transporter bus to a safe place, however, let them out at the market place of Yenisehir, a part of Ankara. The lawyers had already been abused by the police on being brought into the bus and were mistreated inside the vehicle. On arriving in Yenisehir, the police called passer-bys with the inciting words 3These are the lawyers of Apo!2 to come and attack them. Several of the lawyers were severely beaten up by uniformed and plainclothes police officers. Mr. Ahmet Avsar, Ms. Mukrime Tepe, Mr. Irfan Dundar, Mr. Niyazi Bulgan, Mr. Refik Ergun and Ms. Fatma Karakas have suffered so serious injuries that they are now under treatment at the Medical Chamber of Ankara. Especially the health of Mr. Irfan Dundar and Mr. Niyazi Bulgan is highly critical. The names of the other lawyers who were brought in the transporter bus are Mr. Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu, Mr. Ercan Kanar, Mr. Hasip Kaplan, Mr. Niyazi Cem, Ms. Derya Bayir, Mr. Sait Karabakan, Ms. Zeynel Polat, Ms. Hatice Korkut, and Mr. Fehim Gunes.