 |
|
 |
Turkey: Kurdish singer on trial for praising rebel leader
On 22 May 2007 a prosecutor demanded that the Kurdish singer Xemgin Birhat be sentenced to five years in prison for performing a song that praises imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan
Xemgin Birhat (real name: Zülfü Kızıldemir) was detained in March 2007 after performing his Kurdish-language song 'Mezin Apo', ('The Great Apo' – Apo is short for Abdullah), at a spring festival traditionally used by Kurds to assert separatist demands, according to a report from the government-run Anatolia News Agency.
In the opening trial on 22 May, the prosecutor asked that Kızıldemir be sentenced on charges of engaging in propaganda in favor of Ocalan's banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK.
Kızıldemir rejected the charges and said because he had lived in Germany that for the past 30 years, he was not aware of Turkey's anti-terrorism laws, the Anatolia News Agency reported.
|
|
 Xemgin Birhat |
 |
| Related reading |
| Turkey: Banned rapper did not back down |
| In 2000, a song by Turkish rapper Sultana was banned, and she disappeared from the lime light. After an eight-year hiatus she is now back on the music stage |
| 18 June 2008 |
 |
| Denmark: Exiled Kurdish singer awarded |
| On 29 November 2007 the Danish Refugee Council awarded Mizgin, a Kurdish refugee musician based in Denmark, with an 'Artist Award' and 5,000 US dollars |
| 05 December 2007 |
 |
| Turkey: Singer Ferhat Tunç acquitted |
| The Turkish-Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunc could leave Izmir High Criminal Court as a free man on 4 October 2007. The Freemuse delegation succeeded it's mission |
| 04 October 2007 |
 |
| Turkey: EU Commission to observe Tunç Trial |
| Senior Political Advisor Ms Selma Kiliçer from the EU Commission office in Ankara will observe the trial against Ferhat Tunç - and thus join the Freemuse delegation |
| 03 October 2007 |
 |
| Ferhat Tunç campaign 2007 |
| International campaign in support of musician on trial for remarks on Kurdish issue. Freemuse request the Turkish State to drop its case against singer Ferhat Tunç |
| 02 October 2007 |
 |
| Turkey: Delegation in support of Ferhat Tunç |
| EU-politician and famous Danish musician join Freemuse delegation, travelling to attend the court case in Turkey against Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunç on 4 October 2007 |
| 27 September 2007 |
 |
|
|
 |