Bahar Kimyongür

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Bahar Kimyongür (born 28 April 1974 in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Belgium), is a Belgian political writer of Turkish extraction.[1] He is perhaps most well known for his repeated arrests and releases on terrorism-related offences in the early twenty-first century.

Legal tribulations[edit]

In 2006 he was convicted, as part of a group, by the tribunal of first instance for terrorist offences (specifically membership of the DHKP-C), and imprisoned. The conditions of their imprisonment in Bruges prison have been called a 'white torture' by Human rights groups. Although on release whilst appealing against his sentence,[2] in November the same year the Ghent Court of Appeal upheld his conviction. Imprisoned in Ghent, Kimyongür appealed to the Supreme Court,[3] and again, to the Antwerp appellate court a year later.[4] Although delaying its verdict a number of times, the Antwerp court eventually announced the acquittal of all the accused on 7 February 2008.[5] A year later, the Brussels appeals' court also acquitted him of further charges relating to membership of a proscribed organisation.[6] However, it was not until early in 2010 that the Prosecution of Belgium announced it would not appeal Kimyongür's (and others) release.[7] The television channel RTBF has claimed that his arrest in the Netherlands was at the instigation of the Belgian security services.[8] He was subsequently arrested in Córdoba, Spain on 18 June 2013, and released under caution;[9] he was then arrested in Bergamo, Italy, on 21 November the same year. He was released in March 2014 by the Brescia court of appeal.[10][11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Eylem Aydemir, « Interview avec Bahar Kimyongur » Archived 2016-03-13 at the Wayback Machine, Librenews, 26 février 2010.
  2. ^ « Pratiques inhumaines et humiliantes », La Libre Belgique, 8.
  3. ^ "Bahar Kimyongür, prisonnier d’opinion" Archived 2014-06-30 at the Wayback Machine, par François Schreuer, Politique, revue de débats, Bruxelles, no. 47, décembre 2006.
  4. ^ « Retour à la case départ pour "l'affaire Erdal" » sur le site internet de la RTBF, 13
  5. ^ « DHKP-C - les sept prévenus acquittés pour terrorisme » sur le site internet de la RTBF, 7
  6. ^ Marc Metdepenningen, DHKP-C : Bahar Kimyongur acquitté, Le Soir, 23 décembre 2009.
  7. ^ Belga, Le parquet n'ira pas en cassation contre l'arrêt DHKP-C, 7sur7, 7 janvier 2010
  8. ^ « Bahar Kimyongur « donné » aux Pays-Bas » sur le site internet de la RTBF, 20
  9. ^ Jean-Claude Matgen, "Nouveaux ennuis judiciaires pour l’activiste Bahar Kimyongur", La Libre Belgique, 20 juin 2013
  10. ^ Marc Metdepenningen, "DHKP-C: Bahar Kimyongur arrêté ce matin à Milan", Le Soir, 21 novembre 2013
  11. ^ Michel Molitor, "DHKP-C: l'arrestation de Bahar Kimyongür en Italie, un acharnement?", RTBF, 22 novembre 2013