Kurdish Spokesperson and EUTCC Patron Leyla Zana Convicted to Ten Years in Prison by a Turkish Court

5 December 2008
Press Release: For immediate release

Kurdish Spokesperson and EUTCC Patron Leyla Zana Convicted to Ten Years in Prison by a Turkish Court

Leyla Zana, a well know political spokesperson for the Kurds in Turkey, was Thursday convicted to ten years in prison by a Turkish Court in Diyarbakir. The court ruled that Leyla Zana had violated the penal code and the anti-terror law in nine different speeches.  She is accused of having supported and spread propaganda in favour of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party). At a Newroz celebration in Diyarbakir Zana stated that PKK leader, Mr. Abdulla Öcalan, should be regarded as one of three Kurdish leaders.  It is expected that Zana will appeal the verdict.
Leyla Zana was the first Kurdish woman to win a seat in the Turkish Parliament in 1991. Her decision to give the Parliamentary Oath in Kurdish led to immediate calls for her arrest. This was the first time Kurdish had been spoken in the Turkish Parliament. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released in 2004 due to international pressure. Zana received the Rafto Prize in 1994 and the Sakharov Prize the following year.
Despite Leyla Zana’s sufferings and personal losses during 10 years of imprisonment in Turkey, she has chosen to speak on behalf of her people. Since her release in 2004 Leyla Zana has been an outspoken, courageous and loyal ambassador to the Kurdish people. She demands recognition for the Kurdish language, Kurdish identity and freedom of expression in addition to political and cultural rights. Zana seeks a non-violent and democratic solution for the Kurds living within Turkey's borders. In a statement made by Zana in the British Parliament in 2008, Zana say that the Kurds had no cultural rights since 1924 and have suffered ever since. In order to make changes in Turkey, according to Zana, the EU accession process is of high importance.
EUTCC calls on the European Union and the international community to take political action and strongly condemn Turkey for having convicted Leyla Zana to ten new years in prison simply for having uttered herself as a free citizen.

For further information

Kariane Westrheim
Chair of EUTCC

Menneskerettighetenes plass 1
5007 Bergen, Norway
Telephone: +47 976 42 088