just reminder :) --- Question for written answer P-002260/14 to the Commission Takis Hadjigeorgiou (GUE/NGL) (26 February 2014) Subject: Imprisonment of Murat Kanatli --- The President of the Turkish Cypriot New Cyprus Party and conscientious objector Murat Kanatli has been sentenced to 10 days imprisonment by a military ‘court’ in the pseudo-state in Cyprus for deliberately failing to participate as a reservist in military exercises in the occupied territories. The right to refuse military service is enshrined in the ECHR and normally conscientious objectors have the opportunity to perform alternative service. However, Murat Kanatli was sentenced to pay a fine of 500 Turkish lira and, because he refused, he has been imprisoned. Mr Kanatli is a conscientious objector and since 2009 has refused to do his military service in the army of occupation. He is a peace campaigner, who is fighting for the reunification of Cyprus. He thus prefers to remain with a clear conscience than to serve in an army that has partitioned his country and continues to do so. In view of the above, will the Commission say: Is it aware of the case of Murat Kanatli? Will it condemn this incident which is a violation of the human rights of a man who has refused to serve in the Turkish army of occupation in Cyprus? --- Question for written answer P-002292/14 to the Commission Sophocles Sophocleous (S&D) (27 February 2014) Subject: Arrest of Murat Kanatli --- On 25 February 2014, Murat Kanatli, Secretary of the Turkish Cypriot New Cyprus party and board member of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), was sentenced by the illegal regime to 10 days detention in a military prison in occupied Nicosia for his refusal, as a conscientious objector to take part in annual compulsory military exercises in occupied Cyprus in 2009. In addition, two separate actions are pending for his refusal to take part in these exercises in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The arrest of Murat Kanatli is an act of provocation and an infringement of Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union regarding the right of all to freedom of thought and conscience. This is yet another example of the way in which the occupying powers are terrorising the Turkish Cypriot population and failing to respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression, following on as it does from the tragic death in October 2011 of the 21-year-old Turkish private Ugur Kantar as a result of torture and ill-treatment at a military prison in occupied Cyprus. In view of this: What view does the Commission take of the arrest of Murat Kanatli in the context of the forthcoming examination of the question of legal and fundamental rights? Will the Commission make representations to the Turkish authorities with a view to preventing any further proceedings against him? --- Question for written answer E-002301/14 to the Commission Nikos Chrysogelos (Verts/ALE) (27 February 2014) Subject: Imprisonment of Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector and human rights activist Murat Murat Kanatli --- Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector and human rights activist Murat Kanatli, a Board member of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection, was imprisoned on 26 February 2014 as a result of his conscientious objection to participating in the annual compulsory military exercises in the northern part of Cyprus. Since 2009, Murat Kanatli has refused each year, on conscientious grounds, to participate in these exercises. He was judged by the Military Court which delivered its judgment on 26 February and imposed a fine of TRY 500. Upon his refusal to pay the fine, Kanatli was sent to serve 10 days in prison. This decision is solely regarding his refusal to participate in the year 2009. The cases relating to objection to serve in 2010 and 2011 are still pending (338). The Commission is reminded of Paragraph 106 of Parliament’s resolution of 12 December 2012 (339) in which it states that it ‘regrets that young people in some Member States are still being prosecuted and sentenced to imprisonment because the right to conscientious objection to military service is still not adequately recognised, and calls on the Member States to stop persecution of and discrimination against conscientious objectors’. The Commission is also reminded of paragraph 42(g) of the EU guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, adopted on 24 June 2013 by the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, which state that the EU ‘encourages States to respect the right to conscientious objection to military service, based on one’s religion or belief, and allow for an alternative service of a non-combatant or civilian character (340)’. Given that the imprisonment of Murat Kanatli violates his human right to conscientious objection to compulsory military service: what will the Commission do to ensure his immediate and unconditional release? how will the Commission ensure that the charges against him relating to his refusal of reserve service in 2010 and 2011 are dropped, given that the UN Human Rights Committee has ruled in its General Comment no 32, 2007, paragraph 55, that such repeated prosecutions of conscientious objectors breach the principle of ne bis in idem, i.e. no one should be tried twice for the same ‘offence’. how will the Commission ensure that all Cypriot conscripts, reservists and professional members of the armed forces are accorded the right to conscientious objection in line with European and international standards? --- Joint answer given by Mr Füle on behalf of the Commission (4 April 2014) The Commission is aware of the case of Murat Kanatli, raised by the Honourable Members. The Commission will continue to monitor the case and raise it with the Turkish Cypriot community. eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/;ELX_SESSIONID=lxTzJ2CGBphbJ532hhQGYRnwy1WxxTSpyTRmKyV5XyQrfF1GymkX!1996567712?uri=OJ:JOC_2014_365_R_0001
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 09:52:44 +0000
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