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