Turkey has ANF News Director arrested by Interpol

[Anthea]

ANF News Director arrested by Interpol on Turkey's complaint

ANF News Director Maxime Azadi, journalist in Europe since early 2000's, was arrested by Interpol in Belgium capital Brussels on Turkey's complaint.

Maxime Azadi has been doing journalism in Europe, as part of which he has worked at various European Union institutions for many years.

Turkey has asked Interpol to issue 'Red Notices' on several Kurds currently residing outside Turkish borders, so that they may be returned to Turkey to face trial - I believe that Remzi Kartal is one such person

Remzi Kartal: a highly respected and admired member the Kurdish political movement in Europe and co-chair of Kongra Gel

Red Notice: is the "closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today and Turkey has requested several such notices to be issued

WHO WILL BE NEXT?

[Anthea]

Kurdish journalist arrested in European capital “on Turkey’s request”
Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg



The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on Tuesday said that the Kurdish journalist Maxime Azadi was arrested in Brussels three days ago by Interpol on Turkey’s request.

“And so Belgium proceeds to arrest French-Kurdish journalist at the request of the Turkish authorities,” Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, said on Tuesday.

Maxime Azadi has been working in Brussels since 2000, and writes for the pro-Kurdish agency Firat News (ANF) which is banned in Turkey ‘for security reasons’. According to Western media the news agency is allied to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Moreover, he writes for the French media organization Mediapart and is the founder of the Kurdish news website Actukurde.

“Maxime Azadi was not aware of the arrest warrant against him,” a member of ANF in Amsterdam told the Belgiam news website BRUZZ. “Thursday we will look at the case with a lawyer,” he said.

Heavy fighting re-erupted in Turkey after a two-year-old unilateral ceasefire ended in July 2015. Now the PKK and the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) are being targeted in a fierce Turkish security crackdown, following the botched July 2016 coup attempt against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Most MPs of the pro-Kurdish HDP party are now in prison, after the Turkish parliament lifted the immunity, resulting in an arrest campaign targeting Kurds.

European countries have criticized the crackdown on Kurdish politicians and the imprisonment of many journalists and activists, which raised anger in Turkey.

Turkey is now trying to put more pressure on Europe to also crackdown on Kurdish organizations close to the PKK. Moreover, Germany has arrested a 31-year-old Turkish citizen suspected of planning assassinations and collecting information against Kurds in Europe.

http://aranews.net/2016/12/kurdish-jour ... s-request/