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Thursday, May 18 2006 @ 03:36 AM EDT
Turkey: Headscarf Ban No Excuse for Attack on Judges
Wednesday, May 17 2006 @ 07:05 PM EDT
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Human Rights Watch 2006
News and Releases
Compiled by Kandy Ringer
Turkish Court Decision to Ban Headscarf Cannot Justify Murder
HRW via BBSNews - New York, May 17, 2006 -- Today’s attack on judges at Turkey’s highest administrative court cannot be justified by opposition to Turkey’s ban on headscarves, Human Rights Watch said today.
Map of Turkey, 2005.
Map of Turkey, 2005
Photo Credit: The University of Texas at Austin.
For the map shown above in it's full size, see Map of Turkey, 2005.
More maps are available in BBSNews Maps.
Judge Mustafa Yücel Özbilgin of the Second Chamber of the Council of State (administrative appeal court) was killed in the attack, and four other judges were wounded. The gunman, arrested near the scene, is reported to have carried out the attack “in revenge” for a controversial decision by the chamber in October 2005 that upheld the city governor’s refusal to promote a teacher seen wearing a headscarf while off-duty.
“We utterly condemn this attack on Turkey’s highest court – there is no justification for such a murder,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Turkey’s ban on headscarves clearly infringes upon women’s right to religious freedom, but violent attacks against civilian authorities are a grave violation of rights, not a defence of them.”"
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