Lawyer Kadriye Dogru, who went to visit Halil Savda in prison today (13.12.2006), was refused admittance on the basis that she has no certificated mandate. She turned to the military prosecutor, who informed her that Halil was sentenced to solitary confinement for two days and that today is the first day of his sentence. Please find below the statement by lawyer Kadriye Dogru:

I went to the military prison of the 5. Corps in Corlu / Tekirdag on 13 December 2006 to speak with detained conscientious objector Halil Savda. I requested to see Halil Savda at the corps gate. My identity and requested was conveyed further. After a while I was informed that the commander wanted to speak with me at the phone. He told me that my name is not noted in Halil Savda’s letter of attorney and that I therefore can’t see him. I reminded him, that Savda has the status of “detainee” and that there is no legislation to hinder me meeting him. The commander told me that I will need a permission by the military prosecutor in order to see Halil Savda. I went to the prosecutorship. The military prosecutor said, that I can’t see Savda and that he has started to serve his two days solitary confinement today. I asked for the justification and he replied that he is not in the position to give one.
 

My meeting with Savda was hindered on completely arbitrary grounds. Neither the code of criminal procedure, nor the military criminal code or the code of military criminal procedure include any clause which could be used to hinder a detainee in prison from meeting a lawyer. This situation is an obstruction of the right to defense.

Lawyer Kadriye Dogru