The Congress debates the case of Leyla Güven
[18/10/2011]
The situation of Leyla Güven, 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 Güven. 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 Güven, 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 Güven 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.
Le Congrès débat du cas de Leyla Güven
[18/10/2011]
La situation de Leyla Güven, membre de la délégation turque du Congrès, et détenue depuis 2009 à Diyarbakir, en Turquie, a été débattue à l’ouverture de la 21ème Session. Le Président Keith Whitmore a souligné les efforts du Congrès pour obtenir des autorités turques qu’une délégation puisse visiter Mme Güven. Grâce notamment au soutien de la délégation turque auprès du Congrès, cette visite a pu être effectuée le 6 octobre dernier. ''Nous avons eu près de deux heures de discussion avec Leyla Güven qui nous a fait part de ses conditions de détention particulièrement difficiles,'' ont expliqué Anders Knape et Leen Verbeek, tous deux membres de la délégation 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 Güven a notamment été soulignée. Le Bureau du Congrès a ainsi demandé la saisie de la Commission de Venise afin qu’elle examine ce point dans le cadre de son assistance constitutionnelle à la Turquie. ''Sans interférer dans la procédure judiciaire turque, nous continuerons de suivre de près cette question'', a conclu Keith Whitmore.
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The situation of Leyla Güven, 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 Güven. 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 Güven, 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 Güven 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.