On 9th April, IPAI organized a protest in front of the Italian embassy in Austria to demand “No extradition of Avni Er to the torture regime in Turkey”

IPAI held a protest to support the Italian coordination against the extradition of Avni Er to Turkey in front of the Italian embassy in Vienna.

The action was held one day before the decision trial in Italy. Ahead of IPAI, members of LSR (League of the Socialist Revolution) and AIK (Anti-imperialist coordination) took part in the protest.

There was opened a banner, writing the slogan “No to the extradition of Avni Er to the torture regime in Turkey” in Italian language. Further the activists carried signboards writing “Freedom for Avni and Zeynep”.

During the action there were distributed leaflets and a statement of IPAI was read.

The International Forum in Denmark as well expressed its solidarity with Avni Er in a declaration of protest from April 14th, 2008:

We in Internationalt Forum/The Middle East Group say:

Freedom for Avni and Zeynep! No to the extradition of Avni to the torture state of Turkey!

No to the EU-anti terror policy which violates basic political rights of the peoples

Long live international solidarity!

Internationalt Forum/The Middle East Group

www.internationaltforum.dk

Statement of IPAI, read during the protest in front of the Italian embassy in Vienna, 9th April 2008:

“NO EXTRADITION TO THE TORTURE STATE TURKEY

Since 1st April 2004, the political activists from Turkey, Avni Er and Zeynep Kilic are in Italian prison. They were arrested in the course of a simultaneous, international police raid towards dozens democratical institutions in Turkey and in some countries of Europe. Hence there were taken more than 100 human rights activists into police custody, 87 of them were jailed. As evidences there were used disks, but soon it turned out to be a flop. However, dozens of people were kept in jail for more than a year, without evidences. During this campaign, masked as an anti-terror operation, there were also raided legal associations and information bureaus in Belgium, Germany and Holland. But also there, temporarily arrested persons were set free and the indictment was quashed.

In Italy there were also arrested three members of Campo Antiimperialista, but followed by a large solidarity campaign they were released short time after.

Only for Avni Er and Zeynep Kilic jail continues. They were punished for membership in the revolutionary movement DHKP-C. While Zeynep is kept in a prison in Rome, Avni Er was transferred to Nuoro, a notorious high security prison in Sardinia, where he’s exposed to severe isolation conditions.

Today, Avni is exposed to danger being extradited to Turkey.. These would mean the violation of internatinal law, which doesn’t only judge countries, that practise torture and mistreatment, but also those governments, who extradite persons to such countries, despite of awareness about the danger of torture. Just as it would be in case of affirmation of the extradition of Avni Er.

After the construction of a country-wide coordination against the extradition, several sit-ins and manifestations for the freedom of both activists, ten thousands of signatures, the hungerstrike actions of Avni, Zeynep and other political prisoners, at last the state prosecutor at the court of appeal remarked serious doubts as regards the extradition demand of Turkey and he ordered the adjournment of the trial to 10th April 2008.

In solidarity with Avni and Zeynep and in protest against the continuous human rights violations in Turkey, we assent to the demands of our Italian friends and declare:

- Freedom for Avni and Zeynep!- No to the extradition of Avni to the torture state Turkey!

Let’s prevent the extradition of left activists to Turkey!

No to the EU-Antiterror policy at cost of human rights and freedom of opinion!”

International Platform against Isolation

www.ipai-isolation.info, e-mail: isolation@post.com

 

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Report of the Sassari’s Court of Appeal

10th April 2008

During the court of appeal the general prosecutor asked for rejection of the extradition. A positive signal, while the final decision was announced as expected within five days.

The court decision was a victory to the long-term campaign in solidarity with Avni Er and Zeynep Kilic. The court rejected to extradite Avni Er to Turkey.

Following a short note of the Associazione Solidarietà Proletaria (ASP), part of the national coordination against the extradition, who joined the Sassari’s Court of Appeal on 10th of April:

“11.04.08

Yesterday April 10th Sassari’s Court of Appeal assembled for the second time, after February 7th, to decide about Turkey’s request of extradition for Avni Er. The general prosecutor Stefano Fiori asked the Court to reject the extradition instance on the basis of the “ne bis in ibidem” principle, for which Avni, who is serving a 7 years sentence in Italy, could not be judged another time in Turkey for the same imputation.

The court, chaired by Giovanni Antonio Tabasso, took therefore time to make the decision and deposit the final sentence, which could become public within five days.

The fact that the invitation to deny the request of extradition comes from the prosecutor himself, is without doubt a positive signal. It’s a signal which can foretell a positive epilogue of this outrageous affair.

But the motivation on which is based the rejection request serves in an evident way Italy’s and Turkey’s interests.

Italian authorities, brought to the impossibility of going ahead on their criminal project of exchange, due to the mobilization developed on Avni’s behalf, are now taking a step backwards, but being careful to annoy as little as possible their important commercial partner.

“We made you a service recognizing and condemning Avni as a terrorist. We cannot hand him over to you, but we will not spoil in any way your image of democratic country.”

A compromise useful to the interests of both these governments, for which human life and respect of human rights are evidently secondary to economic and political interests.

If Avni Er extradition will not be granted, it will be however an important victory for Avni and for all who believed and engaged themselves in this solidarity campaign.

It is certain that, if the motivations on which the Court would decide to reject it were different from those requested from the general prosecutor, the result could be much greater also for all who tribute a real value to the words democracy and civilization.

Avni is not a terrorist!
Against every form of fascism and oppression, let’s defend the democratic liberties and the right to political opposition!
No extradition, no expulsion for Avni Er and Zeynep Kiliç!”