94 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
94 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
International Newsletter #3 - September 1994
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Dear anti-fascist friends and human rights activists!
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We would like to thank you all for your tremendous support. The joint
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day of action was a big success. Heart-felt thanks also from the accused. Your
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actions gave them lots of strength. With the aid of the international actions
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and the international trial observers, the media black-out here has been
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broken and an objective form of reporting is finding its way into the media.
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The feared exclusion of the public from the trial did not happen. The
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presiding judge, Eschenhagen, noted that there seemed to be a great deal of
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international public interest in the trial, and that therefore she would not
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exclude the public from the trial.
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Days 1 And 2 Of The Trial
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On Tuesday, September 20, the trial opened with a rally in front of the
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court building. The proceedings could only begin after a two hour delay,
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because the Berlin police had surrounded the building and would not allow a
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sufficient number of spectators into the court. Therefore, the charges could
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not be read during the first day of the proceedings, which then had to be
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broken off early because the psychologically-ill Erkan Sonmez was in poor
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health. Inside the courtroom, the spectators sung "Happy Birthday" for Mehmet
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Ramme, who turned 32 that day. It was obvious also that everyone was very
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happy to see their friends again.
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The charges were read on the second day of the trial on September 27.
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Political statements from defendents Fatma Balamir and Abidin Eraslan were
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also read. We will be sending these in a future mailing.
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The International Trial Observers
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The following people travelled to Berlin to observe the trial: Yuksel
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Hos from the Turkish human rights organization IHD, Mike Luft from
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"Searchlight" magazine in Great Britain, Leonard Weinglass, an American lawyer
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and a member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Gloria
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Echeveste and Julio Peralta of the MLN-Tupamaros from Uruguay. On Tuesday
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evening after the trial opened, the international observers, along with one of
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the lawyers and Ulla Jelpke (member of parliament for the leftist PDS party),
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held an information event which close to 300 people attended.
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After discussions with the team of lawyers after the opening day of the
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trial, the international observers issued a joint statement.
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Unfortunately, we must report that Carlo Blietz (27) has been detained
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in unbearable conditions. At first, he was put in a cell which had swastikas
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graffittied onto the walls. After he protested, he was placed in a cell
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without any electricity. He has had packages withheld, and he is only allowed
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non-contact visits with his girlfriend (30 minutes every two weeks).
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The prisoners would like to say thanks for the many cards and letters
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they have received. They aren't always able to respond, however, because the
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prison officials often refuse to give them the envelopes on which the return
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address is written. Please write your return address on the letter itself so
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that you can receive an answer!
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International Solidarity Actions
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On the evening before the trial openend, 2000 people took part in a
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solidarity demonstration in the Kreuzberg section of Berlin. There were also
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rallies in front of German consulates in several European cities as well as in
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Washington D.C., and letters were sent to German establishments, including to
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the court itself.
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In Barcelona, 150 anti-fascists demonstrated outside the German
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consulate, and in Valencia, 50 activists hung a banner outside the German
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consulate. In France, the "Solidarite Resistance Antifa" organized a rally of
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80 people outside the German embassy in Paris, where a protest resolution was
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handed over. In Lyon, 30 people occupied a room in the Goethe Institute for
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one hour. In Lille, 30 people demonstrated outside the German consulate, while
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in Nantes, a leafletting action in the city center had to be called off due to
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heavy rain showers. In Bourges, a solidarity concert was held. In Norway,
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there were protest actions in Bergen and Tromso. Petitions were also handed
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over to the German embassies in Copenhagen and Stockholm. There was also
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supposed to be a rally outside the German embassy in Helsinki, but we have not
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yet received a report of this action. The same is true for Amsterdam and
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Rotterdam. In Manchester, the was a picket in front of the German consulate,
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and in Newcastle, there was a rally of 50 people in the city center, during
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which petition signatures were collected. In Washington D.C., the Students
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Coalition Against Racism (SCAR) held a noisy rally outside the German
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consulate, and in Vienna, protesters marched past the German embassy. There
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were also solidarity actions in neighboring Switzerland. But protest actions
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were not only organized by Western antifas, but also in the Polish city of
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Wroclaw there was a rally outside the German consulate. Protest resolutions
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were also sent to the court from Canada, and there were media reports in
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several countries concerning the trial and its background.
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Sincerely,
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International Solidarity Group
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c/o Trial Office
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Telephone and Fax: ++49-30-694 93 54 or Fax ++49-30-786 99 84
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E-mail: PROZESSBUERO@LINK-B36.berlinet.in-berlin.de
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(Leave messages or call on monday from 14.00-20.00)
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Stop the Murder Trial! Support the Berlin 7!
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