Swedish Left Party to monitor trials of Kurdish activists

The so-called KCK-trials, where roughly 1500 politically active individuals are being tried on charges of separatism, resume in Turkey on December 6. Many of the arrested are journalists, elected officials, human rights activists, and lawyers. They were taken into custody during a massive campaign by the Turkish government to crack down on dissidents, mainly of Kurdish origin.

In a practical act of international solidarity, the Left Party of Sweden has continuously monitored these trials that officially started in October 2010. Members of the Swedish Parliament, municipal politicians, political advisors and individual members of the party have on several occasions visited the city of Diyarbakir/Amed to show solidarity with the people imprisoned, and show support for freedom of speech.

On December 6 it’s time once again. A number of members of the Left Party will travel to Diyarbakir to monitor the trials.

Hans Linde, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party, explains: “Political activists have now been jailed almost three years and have been subjected to a number of judicial transgressions during this time. Their lawyers are not allowed to see the evidence presented against them, and the accused are not allowed to defend themselves in their native tongue, Kurdish. These trials are not worthy of a country that aspires to call itself democratic, and that wishes to join the European Union.”