Diyarbakır High Criminal Court No. 4 banned 13 members of Bahar Cultural Centre from performing arts for one year, and gave them 10 months prison sentence each.
The musicians and artists were charged with “violating the law on assembly and demonstrations”, and the court ruled that the 13 artists and members of Bahar Cultural Centre (BKM) “cannot take part in any social and artistic events.” One musician has been in pre-trial confinement. Members of BKM Music and Theatre Group are punished for having performed at the Batman Cultural Festival, 'Newroz', and for holding celebrations and press gatherings.
The musicians told the human rights organisation Antenna that they were given an unfair sentence and added that “banning artists from performing arts was very primitive and heavy.” Abdullah Tarhan of the only Kurdish Theatre Company of Batman Arsen Paladov Theatre said: “We who are banned from going on stage will stage this ban too…”
“We have been banned from singing in public. My friends are not allowed playing their instruments,” vocalist of Koma Grave Roje music band, Mahfuz Aslan, told Antenna.
The musicians and actors and actresses will appeal to the Higher Court. 70 cases filed against 13 BKM members over four years are pending at the moment. Source
Freedom of Expression Weekly Bulletin – Issue 16/10, 16 April 2010
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Bahar Culturel Centre Music and Theatre Group
Excerpt of the court decision about one of the members of the group. It reads:"...due to article 231/8 of CMK [Code for Criminal Procedures] no. 5271 to be kept under "controlled freedom rule" for five years, to be restricted from visiting café-houses, concert halls, bars, beer houses, or participating in political demonstrations and rallies...".
Turkey
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