MESOP NEWS “ADEM UZUN” (PKK/KNK) BRUSSELS STATEMENT : Kurdish activists accused of links to PKK to go on trial in Belgium

MESOP  20 Sep 2016 – BRUSSELS,— A number of Kurdish activists and political figures accused of links to the Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will go on trial in Brussels on Monday.

Two former Kurdish lawmakers from the Turkish Parliament, 31 political figures and two television channel directors, as well as seven Kurdish activists, will go on trial in the Palais de Justice in Brussels, NRT reported. All of the defendants were accused of working and having links to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S., the EU and Turkey, the source said.Adam Ozon, a Kurdish political figure, told NRT they have been living in Europe for several years and have not carried out any illegal action.

Ozon said a “political decision” may be behind their trial and said he believes the Turkish government has put pressure on Belgium’s government to sentence people accused of working with the PKK. A campaign has been launched across Europe to protest against the Brussels court and thousands of Kurds and Europeans have collected signatures, calling on the government not to bow to pressure from the Turkish government.A number of Kurds in Belgium gathered in front of the court in Brussels to demonstrate against the trials of the Kurdish political figures. Last week Belgian authorities also refused to allow the “Kurdistan Culture Week” festival, that was expected to start on Sept. 22, in Brussels. www.mesop.de