For my non-greek Facebook Friends : From early Friday morning, the Turkish political refugee in Greece, Baris Bal is in detention, initially at the Police Department of Evosmos and then at the Central Police Station in Monastiriou Street (Thessaloniki), as the Turkish state managed to achieve issuing an international warrant for his arrest by Interpol . Baris Bal, who took a political asylum in Greece 20 years ago at the age of only 16, went to the police station for a personal case (he wanted to get a passport for a business trip) some days ago and on Friday the police informed him that he should present himself at the Foreign Office in Thessaloniki for ....another case. They informed him there was an arrest warrant from Interpol, but the police couldnt provide him nor his lawyer with other informations as the arrest warrant was in French. Until the warrant is translated in greek, Baris Bal will stay in prison until 27. Jan. ,when his case will be examined by the responsible council for political refugees, who have taken asylum in Greece. According to legal circles the request for the issuance of Baris Bal seems to be linked to an overall strategy of the Turkish State that is pushing for a review of many cases of Turkish political refugees living in Greece. Baris Bal at the age of fifteen years - twenty-two years ago - was sentenced by the courts of Turkey in several years imprisonment on charges of participating in an illegal political organization. Before the sentence was executed he went to Greece swimming where he requested and was granted political asylum. Baris Bal, father of a young child, is one of the best known artists in Greece to the music of Anatolia. He is a Saz, tanbur and lute virtuoso, and has taught in conservatories and in the Technological Educational Institute of Traditional Music in Arta.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:17:42 +0000
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