India: One year of Bhima-Koregaon case: Part III | One FIR, many arrests and politics of a State at war with the people

January 9, 2019

This is the third of a three-part series on the anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon case. Links to Part I and Part II

All the activists arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case are left-leaning lawyers, academics and organic intellectuals who are extremely popular among the Dalit-Bahujan communities in Maharashtra and also in other states, because of the stellar work they have been doing over the years. The two sets of arrests — on June 6, 2018 and on August 28, 2018 — were based on one FIR filed on January 8, 2018. Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson as well as Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Vara Vara Rao, were arrested, while attempts to arrest Anand Teltumbde didn’t succeed, and Gautam Navlakha was granted relief by Delhi High Court. While a 5000-page chargesheet has been filed, the glaring inconsistencies in the document will go down as a huge a blot on Indian democracy.

…

One year of Bhima-Koregaon case: Part III | One FIR, many arrests and politics of a State at war with the people

One year of Bhima-Koregaon case: Part I | History of a 200-year-old battle and why it still matters

One year of Bhima-Koregaon case: Part II | Why Elgar Parishad spooked Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, the alleged architects of January 1, 2018 anti-Dalit violence

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sc-defers-hearing-on-maharashtras-plea-in-koregaon-bhima-violence-case/articleshow/67042060.cms

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/koregaon-bhima-case-bombay-high-court-rejects-activists-plea-seeking-quashing-of-fir/334807

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surendra_Gadling

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arun_Ferreira

Kenya: Lawyer Earns Ksh4 Million After Arrest

January 9, 2019

A city lawyer has earned a tidy sum of Ksh4 million following an arbitrary arrest by the police.

The High Court on Tuesday ordered six police officers to pay lawyer Steven Nzaku the money after he was arrested and detained illegally.

Besides, the officers were ordered to pay 19 other people a total sum of Ksh3.8 million after they were apprehended and incarcerated at Ongata Rongai police station.

Making the order, Judge Reuben Nyakundi directed that no state money should be used to pay the cash implying that each of the six officers involved will have to part with Ksh1.3 million.

“I find that the petitioners are entitled to general exemplary damages in addition to a declaration on the violation of their constitutional rights,” Justice Nyakundi stated.

Following the directive, each of the 19 complainants is set to receive Ksh200,000.

In their defense, the six officers had argued that the petitioners were “idle and disorderly”.

…

https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/35831-lawyer-earns-ksh4-million-after-arrest

https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2019/01/09/cops-ordered-to-pay-sh78m-to-victims-of-arbitrary-arrest_c1874516

Turkey: Savunmasını beğenmediği avukata ‘Akıl hastanesine yatırılması’ kararı veren mahkeme heyeti hakkındaki reddi hâkim talebi kabul edildi

08/01/19

İstanbul 12. Ağır Ceza Mahkemesi’nin savunmasını beğenmediği avukat Muhittin Köylüoğlu hakkında verdiği “Zorla Bakırköy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi’ne yatırılması” kararı üst mahkeme tarafından bozuldu. Köylüoğlu’nun reddi hâkim talebi de kabul edildi.

İstanbul Adliyesi girişinde arama yapmak isteyen özel güvenlik görevlileriyle tartıştığı için avukat Muhittin Köylüoğlu hakkında “Hakaret” ve “Özel güvenlik görevlilerine mukavemet” suçlamasıyla dava açıldı.

İstanbul 12. Ağır Ceza Mahkemesi’nde görülen ilk duruşmada savunma yapan Köylüoğlu, “Yargılanmamın esas nedeni benim mesleki anlayışım. Hâkim ve savcıların odaları arandı. Ketıllarına el konuldu. Hâkim kararı olmadan arama ve el koyma kararına tek bir hâkim tepki vermedi. Kendi mesleki onurlarını korumadılar” diye konuştu. Mahkeme heyeti, savunması kesilen ve duruşma salonundan atılan Köylüoğlu’nun “Meslektaşlarını aşağılayarak kendi mesleki konumunu ve rüçhaniyetini ortaya koymaya çalıştığını bu yaklaşımın sağlıklı bir ruh halini yansıtmadığını” öne sürdü. “Avukatlık hakları konusunda takıntı seviyesinde hassasiyet” gösterdiği iddia edilen Köylüoğlu’nun savunmasında “paranoid ve şizofreni rahatsızlığını çağrıştıran durumlar olduğu” öne sürülerek “Zorla Bakırköy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi’ne yatırılmasına” karar verildi.

…

http://m.t24.com.tr/haber/savunmasini-begenmedigi-avukata-akil-hastanesine-yatirilmasi-karari-veren-mahkeme-heyeti-hakkindaki-reddi-hakim-talebi-kabul-edildi,793978?fbclid=IwAR16EgSejdqk-fCJgnEErk3Ou_nClI07NDPs5gTkwJP7RQ7RqsVfWbdH9hQ

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/1194332/Savunmasini_begenmedikleri_avukata_akil_hastanesi_cezasi.html

https://www.artigercek.com/haberler/akil-hastanesine-yatirilsin-diyen-mahkeme-heyetine-davadan-el-cektirildi

https://stockholmcf.org/turkey-ranks-110th-among-160-countries-in-the-economists-democracy-index/?fbclid=IwAR2vVByfRb8fwGrQjy5Gb0rR1QEf_tONMIpTDHsW6G9YFt8d_4FO7po_hfI (ENGLISH)

#DayoftheEndangeredLawyer

La 2ème chambre du tribunal d’İstanbul ordonne l’hospitalisation pour « toubles mentaux » de l’avocat Muhittin Köylüoğlu auquel elle reproche sa « sensibilité obsessionnelle quant aux droits liés à l’exercice de la profession d’avocat »

(L’Observatoire des Avocats Facebook, 09/01/19)

N.B.: The Second Chamber of the Istanbul Court ordered the involuntary hospitalization of lawyer Muhittin Köylüoğlu due to his “mental problems” resulting from his “obsessional sensitivity concerning his rights to practise the profession of lawyer”.

China: HARASSMENT AGAINST WANG QUANZHANG’S FAMILY

January 8, 2019

On 26 December 2018, human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang underwent a four-hour trial at the No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court in Tianjin, China. Wang Quanzhang has been detained since his arrest in July 2015, completely incommunicado except for a 2015 visit with a state-appointed lawyer. The court has not yet announced a verdict.

Chinese judicial authorities frequently carry out trials and sentencing of sensitive individuals during the Christmas holiday season in attempt to limit international monitoring and coverage (see Zhen Jianghua). Authorities also took exaggerated measures to avoid local monitoring of the event, dispatching dozens of police and security personnel to prevent Wang Quanzhang’s family and supporters from attending the trial. Approximately 20 officers prevented supporters as well as foreign diplomats from accessing the courthouse on the morning of the trial, while an equal number of individuals prevented Wang Quanzhang’s wife from leaving her apartment compound.

…

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/harassment-against-wang-quanzhang-family

https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-may-be-hijacking-dissidents-twitter-accounts-to-fabricate-evidence-of-unlawful-content_2760635.html

Travesty of Justice: Free Rights Lawyer Wang Quanzhang Now

Chinese Government Puts Human Rights Defenders on Trial During Holiday Season to Hide Rights Abuses

THE EDELSTAM PRIZE LAUREATE 2018 SHAVES OFF HER HAIR IN PROTEST OF THE PERSECUTION OF HER HUSBAND

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Quanzhang

https://www.epochtimes.com.br/12-formas-partido-comunista-chines-contradiz-si-mesmo/ (PORTUGUES)

https://sverigesradio.se/sida/gruppsida.aspx?programid=3304&grupp=6240&artikel=7126235 (SVENSKA)

Cartoon from @minshengguancha depicting Chinese authorities putting Wang Quanzhang on trial in secret and police's desperate attempts to prevent @709liwenzu from attending the trial #FreeWangQuanzhang https://t.co/NBFWMhwYFH pic.twitter.com/RlQGzVURMt

— CHRD人权捍卫者 (@CHRDnet) January 8, 2019

Activist Yang Chunlin still missing, likely in police custody, since he made public demand for justice outside court trial of lawyer #WangQuanzhang in Tianjin on 12/26. Local officials & police came to his family home on 12/27, harassed his wife @lilkuo @cdcshepherd @pakwayne https://t.co/EG4txxlSiO

— CHRD人权捍卫者 (@CHRDnet) January 8, 2019

在 #王全璋 的起诉书中看到他和你一起执行的项目被中共当局指控他颠覆国家政权的主要罪名。很遗憾你们富有人权价值的项目被迫终止。如果你还愿意继续，那么我可以帮助你继续执行此项目。许多良心犯和人权律师需要这样的支持。#WangQuanzhang https://t.co/Woz9vD44u1

— Hu Jia 胡佳 (@hu_jia) January 7, 2019