07/08/2012 Monitoring
Strasbourg, 07.08.2012 - Josette Durrieu (France, SOC), rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, welcomed the release of the Franco-Turkish student Sevil Sevimli. “We were gravely concerned over Ms Sevimli’s arrest and imprisonment. We have followed developments in this case, in liaison with the family. Moreover, under my terms of reference as rapporteur to the Parliamentary Assembly, I have set up a contact with the Turkish Minister of Justice,” explained Ms Durrieu who in a recent letter to the Minister had asked that the case of Sevil Sevimli be examined very closely and rapidly resolved, and that the revised provisions of the Penal Code allow a favourable outcome to be achieved in this matter.
Sevil Sevimli had been in pre-trial detention since 9 May 2012 after she took part in the lawful demonstrations of 1 May and was charged with having presumed links with a far-left underground organisation.
“A trial has been announced for 26 September. For the time being, I am glad about the release of Ms Sevimli, now under house arrest. Turkey means to ensure that its judicial system evolves. I hope that the reforms undertaken by this country will have their due effects and will make it possible to guarantee freedom of expression and demonstration and the rights of the defence. However, many other students as well as journalists, elected representatives, members of the army and ordinary citizens are detained – I trust that justice may be delivered, with respect for the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights of the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a founding member,” Ms Durrieu added. She expects to make another fact-finding visit to Turkey this autumn.