Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Priest Awaits Trial for Holocaust Acknowledgement
by Kosmos Diaspora - Friday 22 December 2000
Posted: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 07:25 am CST

At a time when the world's attention is focussed on the on-going bloodbath in Turkey's prisons, brought on by a combined army and police operation against prison inmates on hunger strike, a 'trial' was commencing in the remote south-east of the country. A trial over the right to free speech.

Fr. Yusuf Akbulut, an Assyrian priest from St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey, was imprisoned under house arrest in Diyarbakir, for acknowledging the combined genocide of Assyrians and Armenians in the 1915 Holocaust. Fr. Yusuf had been branded a traitor and his remarks treasonous by reporters in the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet in early October this year.

Fr. Yusuf's trial was scheduled for December 21st 2000 (yesterday) in the Devlet Guvenlik Mahkemesi (State Security Court), associated with the Turkish military. The Assyrian clergyman is accused of violating Article 312, Book 2, Section 5 of the Turkish penal code, "crimes against public order" ..."request for committing a criminal offence or threat to cause fear and panic in the surrounding population". Under article 311, Father Akbulut may face a fine of between 18,000- 108,000 TL and a prison sentence of between 2 -9 years.

Although Fr. Yusuf has now been allowed contact with others and has legal representation, his house arrest is believed to be potentially more perilous than his earlier direct imprisonment since he is now vulnerable to vigilante or rogue security force attacks.

The ongoing case of Fr. Akbulut, has raised questions in the Swedish Parliament about Turkey's eligibility for membership in the European Union. Inger Lundberg, a delegate of the Social Democrats party, raised concerns about Turkey's treatment of Assyrians, stating that "a country which requests membership in the EU cannot make encroachments on the human rights of the Assyrians/Syriacs" .Furthermore, Inger Lundberg stated that this issue has "created large-scale unrest (concern) to those [Assyrians] which live in southeastern of Turkey". Mr Lundberg asked if "Sweden is ready to take orderly measures against Turkey". Responding to Mr Lundberg, the Minister of State, Goeran Persson, stated that the Parliament "will make sure that we, as far as democracy and human rights are concerned will not make compromises", and "this behavior does not fulfill by any means the expectations which one places against a future member of the European community."

Lodge your protest here: https:/ /aina.org/fryusuf .htm

Related Information...

Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives