BELGIUM/FILE: Belgian authorities have lost track of a female Turkish militant sentenced to four years in jail for belonging to a criminal organisation

Record ID: 644046

  • Title: BELGIUM/FILE: Belgian authorities have lost track of a female Turkish militant sentenced to four years in jail for belonging to a criminal organisation
  • Date: 4th March 2006
  • Summary: (BN16) BRUGES, BELGIUM (FILE - DECEMBER 06, 2005) (REUTERS) BRUGES COURT EXTERIOR POLICEMAN STANDING IN THE ENTRANCE FILES LAWYER WRITING AND FILES DEFENCE LAWYER PAUL BEKAERT STANDING LAWYERS AND JOURNALISTS JURY ENTERING JURY PRESIDENT TALKING AND MEMBERS OF MEDIA WIDE VIEW OF COURTROOM
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA7U2HS8YACJIWOFH2LW1VVRQ8Z
  • Story Text: Fehriye Erdal belonged to the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), a group on the European Union's "terrorist" list, and is also wanted in Turkey for allegedly murdering a prominent businessman.
    Erdal was not at the trial and has the responsibility of handing herself over to the authorities after being sentenced to prison with immediate effect.
    "We are actively looking for her," the public prosecutor spokeswoman, Lieve Pellens, said. "She is being looked for nationally and internationally. We have an international warrant for her."
    Erdal's lawyer was also at a loss.
    "I don't know where she is," Paul Bekaert told Reuters on the telephone, declining to make any other comments.
    Erdal was one of seven Turkish militants found guilty at a court in the Belgian city of Bruges on Tuesday.
    "I have no information on her whereabouts," Kimyongur Bahar told Reuters, who has been sentenced to four years of jail in Tuesday's court verdict.
    Bahar, who remains free until the appeal procedure unlike Erdal, said he was innocent of all charges and would appeal the verdict.
    The court case strained relations between Belgium and Turkey because Belgium would not deport Erdal to her home country to stand trial for the murder of businessman Ozdemir Sabanci, a killing claimed by DHKP/C.
    "This will help me in my case against her," said Fernand Schmitz, a lawyer who represents Sabanci's family.
    He explained that Erdal's possible escape would help him in his bid to appeal Belgium's decision not to trial Erdal for Sabanci's murder.
    Belgium did not include the murder charge in the trial, saying the courts did not have legal competency to do so.
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