KonKurd president could learn his fate tomorrow
KonKurd president could learn his fate tomorrow
Tomorrow morning the Court of Appeal in Venice should decide on the release or detention of Nizamettin Toguc, the president of KonKurd (Confederation of Kurdish Association in Europe). Toguc has been arrested on 18 July in Padova, near Venice while traveling with his wife.
Toguc has been arrested by the Italian police acting on a request by Turkey. Toguc's lawyer, Arturo Salerni, has underlined that the "the fact that Italy has decided to act on the international warrant mandate shows that there are strong pressures on our country operated by Turkey. But it also shows that our security organisms are giving in to these pressures."
The Court of Appeal had postponed its decision by a week while waiting for the dossier on Toguc from Turkey.
The reality is the Nizamettin Toguc is a well know Kurdish politician who has been living in Europe for nearly twenty years. In the '80s while still in Turkey, Toguc had been arrested because found in possession of a Kurdish music tape. He has been put in prison where he was tortured and he stayed behind bars for a long time. After being released he has moved to the Kurdish city of Batman. Here he has opened a car shop. He has been elected president of HEP (People Labour Party) provincial branch. In 1991 he has been elected MP to the Turkish Parliament and together with 17 Kurdish deputies he founded DEP (Democratic Labour Party) after HEP had been closed by the Turkish authorities. In 1993 Toguc was victim on an attack on his life during a public meeting. He was badly injured and miraculously survived. The assassination attempt was claimed by Hizbullah, an islamic radical group linked, as it was unveiled in recent years, to the state.
In 1994 Dep was also banned and parliamentary immunity for the Kurdish deputies was lifted. Six of the deputies decided to go abroad, among them Nizamettin Toguc. Those who stayed in Turkey (Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, Hatip Dicle and Selim Sadak) were arrested and spent ten years in prison, only be released in 2004.
Once in Holland, Toguc was given political status in 1994. In 1995 he is among the founders of the Kurdish Parliament in Exile, while at the same time acting as president of the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan. In 2006 he was elected president of KonKurd, the Confederation of the Kurdish Association (a total of 12 Kurdish federation and 165 Kurdish association are members). In 2010 he has been granted Dutch citizenship and he was given the new passport by mayor of Middelburg.
Toguc has been arrested by the Italian police acting on a request by Turkey. Toguc's lawyer, Arturo Salerni, has underlined that the "the fact that Italy has decided to act on the international warrant mandate shows that there are strong pressures on our country operated by Turkey. But it also shows that our security organisms are giving in to these pressures."
The Court of Appeal had postponed its decision by a week while waiting for the dossier on Toguc from Turkey.
The reality is the Nizamettin Toguc is a well know Kurdish politician who has been living in Europe for nearly twenty years. In the '80s while still in Turkey, Toguc had been arrested because found in possession of a Kurdish music tape. He has been put in prison where he was tortured and he stayed behind bars for a long time. After being released he has moved to the Kurdish city of Batman. Here he has opened a car shop. He has been elected president of HEP (People Labour Party) provincial branch. In 1991 he has been elected MP to the Turkish Parliament and together with 17 Kurdish deputies he founded DEP (Democratic Labour Party) after HEP had been closed by the Turkish authorities. In 1993 Toguc was victim on an attack on his life during a public meeting. He was badly injured and miraculously survived. The assassination attempt was claimed by Hizbullah, an islamic radical group linked, as it was unveiled in recent years, to the state.
In 1994 Dep was also banned and parliamentary immunity for the Kurdish deputies was lifted. Six of the deputies decided to go abroad, among them Nizamettin Toguc. Those who stayed in Turkey (Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, Hatip Dicle and Selim Sadak) were arrested and spent ten years in prison, only be released in 2004.
Once in Holland, Toguc was given political status in 1994. In 1995 he is among the founders of the Kurdish Parliament in Exile, while at the same time acting as president of the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan. In 2006 he was elected president of KonKurd, the Confederation of the Kurdish Association (a total of 12 Kurdish federation and 165 Kurdish association are members). In 2010 he has been granted Dutch citizenship and he was given the new passport by mayor of Middelburg.
