Emre
7th November 2009, 03:11
President Abdullah Gl yesterday evening gave his approval for the release of terminally ill prison inmate Gler Zere, a move that has been expected as the president had stated that his personal convictions were in agreement with a forensics report declaring her health so poor as to necessitate an end to her incarceration.
Gl pardoned three other prisoners along with Zere on Friday night. Speaking to journalists following a visit to the Elazığ Governor's Office, the president responded to questions about the status of Zere, who has been jailed for over a decade for involvement in the terrorist activities of the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C).
Supporters of the stage-four cancer patient have in recent days increased their calls for her release, with most of them pinning their hopes on Gl to exercise his presidential authority to pardon Zere.
For months the process for consideration of a pardon could not be started due to the lack of an updated medical report confirming the terminal status of Zeres cancer. On Thursday the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) released its report, saying that Zeres condition was advanced beyond any hope of recovery.
The report was sent to the presidency for evaluation as part of a pardon process. Noting on Friday that he had been traveling when the report reached the presidency, Gl said: According to information I have been provided, a report has been issued saying that [Zere] is suffering from a serious illness and is in a condition such that she should no longer be imprisoned. Accordingly, I will of course follow my personal convictions while taking into consideration the medical report. In addition, there are others in the same situation; we will evaluate all of them.
Commenting on the point of other prisoners in similar situations, Gl noted that not all who had committed crimes were connected to an organization that had the power to rally public opinion, but still had developed serious medical conditions in prison that necessitated reconsideration of their status. The president also emphasized that there was a pardon process and that he did not have, as is commonly believed, the constitutional authority to pardon whoever he pleased based solely on illness or advanced age.
Our esteemed president has indicated that the report has reached him and that he will follow his personal convictions and will consider the medical reports findings. We are hopefully awaiting the presidents decision; we think that he will decide to pardon her, Zeres father, Haydar Zere, said on Friday. In the event of Zeres release, her father said he planned to bring his daughter from Elbistan to İstanbul and continue her treatment at the apa Medical School Hospital. Maybe shell live a few more months.
Meanwhile, late last week Zeres lawyers had announced an alternative tactic to ensure her release, applying for a postponement of Zeres incarceration until her medical condition improved. However, Elbistan State Prosecutor Sleyman zar rejected the request on the grounds that an application and process were already under way to secure a presidential pardon for Zere.
07 November 2009, Saturday
TODAYS ZAMAN İSTANBUL
Gl pardoned three other prisoners along with Zere on Friday night. Speaking to journalists following a visit to the Elazığ Governor's Office, the president responded to questions about the status of Zere, who has been jailed for over a decade for involvement in the terrorist activities of the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C).
Supporters of the stage-four cancer patient have in recent days increased their calls for her release, with most of them pinning their hopes on Gl to exercise his presidential authority to pardon Zere.
For months the process for consideration of a pardon could not be started due to the lack of an updated medical report confirming the terminal status of Zeres cancer. On Thursday the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) released its report, saying that Zeres condition was advanced beyond any hope of recovery.
The report was sent to the presidency for evaluation as part of a pardon process. Noting on Friday that he had been traveling when the report reached the presidency, Gl said: According to information I have been provided, a report has been issued saying that [Zere] is suffering from a serious illness and is in a condition such that she should no longer be imprisoned. Accordingly, I will of course follow my personal convictions while taking into consideration the medical report. In addition, there are others in the same situation; we will evaluate all of them.
Commenting on the point of other prisoners in similar situations, Gl noted that not all who had committed crimes were connected to an organization that had the power to rally public opinion, but still had developed serious medical conditions in prison that necessitated reconsideration of their status. The president also emphasized that there was a pardon process and that he did not have, as is commonly believed, the constitutional authority to pardon whoever he pleased based solely on illness or advanced age.
Our esteemed president has indicated that the report has reached him and that he will follow his personal convictions and will consider the medical reports findings. We are hopefully awaiting the presidents decision; we think that he will decide to pardon her, Zeres father, Haydar Zere, said on Friday. In the event of Zeres release, her father said he planned to bring his daughter from Elbistan to İstanbul and continue her treatment at the apa Medical School Hospital. Maybe shell live a few more months.
Meanwhile, late last week Zeres lawyers had announced an alternative tactic to ensure her release, applying for a postponement of Zeres incarceration until her medical condition improved. However, Elbistan State Prosecutor Sleyman zar rejected the request on the grounds that an application and process were already under way to secure a presidential pardon for Zere.
07 November 2009, Saturday
TODAYS ZAMAN İSTANBUL