Turkish national Izzet Sahin’s custody has been extended further for another 8 days by the Israeli court. Third court hearing for Izzet Sahin who has been under arrest since the 27th of April, 2010 was held in Israeli military court, Salem Shumrun. The court have postponed the hearing to the 20th of May, 2010.
Turkish lawyers Cihat Gokdemir and Gulden Sonmez accused the court for acting political in reaction to the decision. Lawyers stated that the court is acting political and extending the custody further and further.
“The case here is not of a judicial one. Israeli Military Intelligence has been exerting pressure on the court to hinder Izzet Sahin’s release. If Turkey does not put political pressure on Israel, Sahin will not be released. We now understand that there is nothing much that we can do in legal terms” said Cihat Gokdemir, Attorney.
Turkish attorneys Cihat Gokdemir and Gulden Sonmez who travelled to Jerusalem to observe Sahin’s situation on site, brought back important information on Izzet Sahin’s current state.
Despite not being a convict, Sahin has been kept in a 4.5 m2 room in isolation for 17 days, Gokdemir added “They keep Sahin’s hands tied and his eyes covered with his feet in chains. Sahin is kept in a 4.5 m2 cell, with walls not possible to lean against, without a bed to lie on.”
He went on to say “In Turkey, a person is required to commit a very serious crime against the rules in prison to be put into a cell such as this one, even then, convict’s time in the cell cannot exceed 7 days. What Israel has been doing is completely against international laws of human rights.
Gokdemir said that Izzet Sahin has begun feeling little bit better once he met the lawyers from Turkey, he added “Israeli security staff did not even give water to Izzet Sahin during the first 30 hours following his arrest, let alone food. Our visit to Sahin led to a great improvement in his morale. He pulled himself back together.”
