News

The Congress debates the case of Leyla G�ven  [18/10/2011]

The situation of Leyla G�ven, a member of the Turkish delegation to the Congress who has been detained at Diyarbakir in Turkey since 2009, was debated at the opening of the 21st Session. Congress President Keith Whitmore emphasised the efforts made by the Congress to secure permission from the Turkish authorities for a delegation to visit Ms G�ven. Thanks in particular to the support of the Turkish delegation to the Congress, this visit took place on 6 October. ''We talked for nearly two hours with Leyla G�ven, who told us about her particularly difficult conditions of imprisonment'', explained Anders Knape and Leen Verbeek, both members of the delegation and rapporteurs on this question. One of the main issues discussed was that of the use of the Kurdish language before Turkish courts, which is one of the sticking points in the G�ven case. The Bureau of the Congress has asked for the matter to be referred to the Venice Commission for consideration in the context of its constitutional assistance to Turkey. ''We will continue to monitor this question closely without interfering in the Turkish judicial proceedings,'' concluded Keith Whitmore.  

Information note on the Congress visit  

Le Congr�s d�bat du cas de Leyla G�ven  [18/10/2011]

La situation de Leyla G�ven, membre de la d�l�gation turque du Congr�s, et d�tenue depuis 2009 � Diyarbakir, en Turquie, a �t� d�battue � l�ouverture de la 21�me Session. Le Pr�sident Keith Whitmore a soulign� les efforts du Congr�s pour obtenir des autorit�s turques qu�une d�l�gation puisse visiter Mme G�ven. Gr�ce notamment au soutien de la d�l�gation turque aupr�s du Congr�s, cette visite a pu �tre effectu�e le 6 octobre dernier. ''Nous avons eu pr�s de deux heures de discussion avec Leyla G�ven qui nous a fait part de ses conditions de d�tention particuli�rement difficiles,'' ont expliqu� Anders Knape et Leen Verbeek, tous deux membres de la d�l�gation et rapporteurs sur cette question. La question de l�utilisation de la langue kurde devant les instance judiciaires de Turquie et qui constitue l�un des points de blocage dans l�affaire G�ven a notamment �t� soulign�e. Le Bureau du Congr�s a ainsi demand� la saisie de la Commission de Venise afin qu�elle examine ce point dans le cadre de son assistance constitutionnelle � la Turquie. ''Sans interf�rer dans la proc�dure judiciaire turque, nous continuerons de suivre de pr�s cette question'', a conclu Keith Whitmore.  

Note d'information sur la visit� du Congr�s