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Inicio arrow newsitems arrow Daphne: CoE Rapporteur slams Enquiry Standstill on Web Journalist Murder +Obstacles reach Strasbourg

Daphne: CoE Rapporteur slams Enquiry Standstill on Web Journalist Murder +Obstacles reach Strasbourg

Escrito por ACM
17.10.20

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*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Daphne 3 Years After (2017-2020) :  CoE's Rapporteur slamed the Enquiry's Standstill on Investigative Web Journalist's Murder, while Obstacles reached Strasbourg...


Indeed, the Situation is Aggravating in the UnreSolved yet Affair of the Brutal Murder of Investigative Web Journalist Daphne Caruana-Galicia, (a Long-Time former Newspaper Writer), Killed by a Bomb hidden at her Car which Exploded on the Way to her Family House, at Malta, since Nobody has yet been Punished Neither Found among the Instigators of such an Obviously Terror Crime by some Cowards among those Politicians that she used to Strongly and Fearlessly Criticise, Not Even 3 full Years After, as CoE's Rapporteur, Dutch ChrstianDemocrat/EPP MEP Peter Omtzigt has just Denounced.


- "Still, there is No Justice for Daphne", after "anOther Year has Passed : the Third", as "the Trial of those accused of (Executing)Daphne’s Murder has still Not Begun", and "t pre-trial ‘compilation of Evidence’, which Began in 2017, splutters on Sporadically, mired in Confusion, with No End in Sight", he observed.


+ In Addition, even parallel "Magisterial Inquiries into Daphne’s (Press) Reports on High-level Corruption continue to Lead Nowhere, after 3.5 Years", Omtzigt pointed out.


++ On the Contrary, the Maltese "Socialist" "Prime Minister is trying to Shut down the Independent Public Inquiry into her Assassination After Only 1 Year !" , he Warned.  But "this inquiry has made remarkable Progress", at least, "in casting official, public Light on the Wider Circumstances Surrounding her death", and "Must be Allowed to Fulfil its Broad and Inclusive Mandate", CoE's Rapporteur Urged.

 

Until Now, it's Only "three Suspected Triggermen", who "were , almost 3 Years Ago", and an "Intermediary Confessed almost 1 Year Ago" (leading to the Resignation of a former Prime Minister, Later-on, and his Chief of Cabinet), he reminded, while, on the Contrary, all Instigators remain Still UnKnown, added Even to the real Motive of that Crime...

But, Opposite to that, anOther Murder of another Anti-Corruption Web Journalist, shortly Afterwards, in Slovakia, was, reportedly, Fully Elucidated, strikingly Fast, with Both those who Executed and All its Instigators, Found and Punished, in Addition to Various Top Politicians' including Ministers', Prime Minister's, etc., Resignations !

- Is it, Perhaps, Only Because that Slovakian Journalist's Media was Notoriously Backed by a Big and Powerful German Medias' Compagny, while, on the Contrary, Daphne had been practicaly Obliged to Drop her Traditional Newspaper and Focus on her Web-News Site, in order to be really Free to Write and Publish the Sharp and Fearless Criticism vis a vis several Powerful Political Figures, that she Sincerely Believed to be her Duty to do, as a Real Journalist, striving to Find and Unveil to the People the Truth on Key maters for the "General Interest", by Publishing Regularly Original News on Important Issues seriously Affecting People's Lives and Society at large, (as some Key Notes in her Web Diary clearly suggest) ?

- "Eurofora" was striken by Daphne's Husband, Peter's statement, Earlier at en event in her Memory, in Strasbourg, that - "When she Found that something Must be Published" for the People, Nothing couldN't Stop her from Writting and Publishing, Not Even 100 Turkish Knives, not even a Machine Gun !"... That's a Real "Journalism", for which ECHR's well-known Case-Law on Freedom of Expression has been Forged.

- COE's Rapporteur concludes, Nowadays, by stressing that his "Thoughts are wih Daphne's Family, on this Sad (Murder Anniversary) Day", Husband Peter, and Sons Andrew, Mathiew and Paul, (who have, Meanwhile, Created a Human Rights/Free Speech "Foundation" in the Name of their Wife and Mother)... "3 Years have Passed (2017-2020), but we have Not Forgotten, and we Will Not Forget", he rightuly Vows.

 - But there where "Eurofora" respectfully Disagrees with our Good Friend Peter Omtzigt, is when he Ends his 2020 Message by Merely saying that : -"The Fight is Not over", (sic !).

=> - NO, Dear Peter, "Eurofora" Sincerely Believes that this Fight Must Become much Stronger, simply Because the Scandal around that Still UnSolved Mystery about such an Horrible Crime, (Obviously Meant, by its Methods, to Spread "Terror" Also to Many Other People...), has Recently Become More and More Big, Worse than ever, in the Past !

- Simply "Not Forget" is Easy, particularly when EU Parliament has notoriously Named its Press Conference Room after the Name of "Daphne Caruana-Galicia", as it had also done, in the Past, for its Brussel's Press-Room, after "Politovskaya", (See, f.ex., former President of EU Parliament, Tajani's Replies to "Eurofora"s Questions, then, at : ..., etc), while Nowadays, EU Parliament established even an Annual  "Prize" to be Awarded in the Name of "Daphne", as it was just announced in Brussels...

>>>But, what is Obviously Needed Most of all, is a Stronger "Fight", as Omtzigt called it, Sharper, Better Focused and Original, much More Efficient and Persevering than in the Past, Able to Grow up to the Higher Level of that Mounting Scandal !

- Among Many Others, Also Because, a former Prime Minister, whose Head of Cabinet was found Mixed up with an "Intermediary" to that Murder, Back on 2019, Obliging him to Resign, while himself had been, Notoriously, a Target of Daphe's Criticism for Corruption, (to he point that he had Sued the Journalist and pursued that even after her Murder, against her Family), instead of Resigning Immediately, as EU Parliament's and CoE Assembly's MEPs were Asking, (Warning that, Otherwise, i.e. If he still Stayed in Power, he Risked to Erase the Murder's Traces), on the Contrary, he Remained on his Seat until, at least, Mid-January 2020 (Meanwhile Contributing even to Elect Who was going to be his Successor !)...

+ In Addition, Even that "Intermediary", who had made some Partly Interesting Revelations, But Also some Partly Confusing, Obscure Claims, Suddenly, on Summer 2020, was notoriously Found ...Bleeding and Threatened to Die, by several Stabbings with a Knife, Obliged to be Urgently Hospitalized and Operated, Later getting Out in an Aufull Condition... (Even if some Claimed that this wasN't a Murder Attempt, but rather "a Suicide" attempt, Neverheless, they did Not yet Clearly Explain for What Reason, and Why Just Before he was Called to Give a Testimony in front of a Court).

 -  In the Meantime, Already as Early as since Back on June 2018, when "Eurofora"s co-Founder, (who was one among the First in Europe to Start Publishing on Daphne's Murder : See, f.ex. ..., etc), went to EU Parliament in Strasbourg, in order to Notoriously take an Interview of an Experienced former Long-Time President of an International Human Rights' NGO Headquarted in Paris, and, then, New vice-Director of Famous "Free Speech" NGO "Reporters withOut Borders", precisely on Daphne's Murder-related Developments, (Exceptionaly made in Front of Many People), Suddenly, just a few Hours Later, he learned that his Wife, (Eugenie, a Law-Educated person, Helping also at the Web-News Media), had, for the 1st Time in her Life, Fallen Victim of a Serious and Dangerous, Brutal Incident, on her Way out of the Family Home, when her Bicycle (that she used for Decades, withOut any problem) was Found Sabotaged, right in Front of a Busy Cars' CrossRoads, to the point that her Handlebars went Loose and UnStable, the Right Brake did Not Work, (etc), Throwing her Brutaly Down, with her Head hitting the Pavement, Destroying her Glasses, and Crashing her Face, which was Wounded, Full of Blood, added to a Broken Rib, whose Pains Hindered her Even to Breeth normaly for Months ! (etc)...  

Scandalously, a Local Police Station, (in a Suburb where the "Socialist" then Municipality tried to caricaturaly Minimize, Hide or Muzzle Protests for Various Aggressions, as a matter of Policy : According to the Local Newspaper, even People facing Gun Fire by Armed Thugs practicaly aside that Police Station, had Not been Helped by Anybody, and Obliged to Flee, Only Found some Help by ...simple Civilian passers-by, at anOther, Neighbouring but Different Quarter !), Not Only did Not Provide, Afterwards, Any Help at all, But those in charge then, Even ...blatantly Refused to simply Register a Legal Complaint "against X" on behalf of the Victim, a former Lawyer, (Already Written and Ready to, eventualy, complete with an Oral Presentation, If Necessary, with All relevant Documents, Explicit Photos, and Other Proofs, including Even the Sabotaged Bicycle : Comp. Supra), and Brutaly Abandoned the Victims withOut Any Help, (particularly Nervous When they Found out that this Concerned a Political/Human Rights' European Journalist, at a Special Moment for Daphne's and anOther European Human Rights' "Hot" Cases, that they Vainly Tried to Minimize, even to the point to almost Erase, etc) !

+ Moreover, Afterwards, some (may be the Same) Sly Aggressors, Even ...Put Fire to Burn (sic !) their Victim's Bicycle, (that she had Kept as it was, inside a Collective Building, for Material Evidence of that Sabotage which had Provoked the Violent "Crash" Wounding her Painfuly and Dangerously : Comp. Supra), Lighting Flames Inside the Entrance with Smokes jumping High in front of an Internal Staircase, and EnDangering All Inhabitants, until some Neighbours Managed to Erase that Fire, (after taking a Video, which they Gave us, for Proof)... But, Later that Day, when "Eurofora"'s co-Founder was Invited to an unrelated Press Conference of Strasbourg Region's Prefect, (i.e. the Top Official Representative of the National State in All relevant Public Services, including the Police, etc), and tried to Denounce, while Speaking with him, Also that Criminal Fire put by Sly Aggressors Even Inside Our Family Residence (Comp. Facts cited Supra), then, right on the Way Back Home, Suddenly, someone Violently Hit "Eurofora"'s CoFounder at his Feet, when he was getting Out of a Tram, Brutaly Throwing him Down, with the Head to Crash at the Pavement, provoking 1 or 2 Wounds on the Front, and Blood Covering the Face, to the point that a Medical Team for Urgencies, alerted by Bystanders, Insisted that we Should, Absolutely, Go with them at the Hospital, for Urgent Tests (particularly at the Skull) and Medical Observation, withOut Waiting...

=> Therefore, we were Obliged to go there, where they Kept us until... Next Morning's Early Hours, (up to, approximately, 2 or 3 o'clock in the Morning), which was, in fact, ...the Next Year : 2019, since this 3rd Brutal Incident in a Row happened at the New Eve, OverNight, (inevitably Sabotaging Any Private, Family and/or Social Life, at such a Symbolic Moment) !

>>> Thus, we arrived at that Crucial Year of 2019, for "Daphne"s case, when the Above-mentioned Revelations about Malta's former Prime Minister were made, Later on Autumn, Leading to a Growing Scandal, which Focused on Pushing that Controversial Politician to Resign, and Urging the Criminal Investigation on the Murder to, at last, Advance Rapidly...

Until then, "Eurofora" remained in Frequent Contact with Daphne's 3 (sympathetic and active) Sons, Andrew or Mathiew or Paul, as well as with relevant CoE's and/or EU's Top Officials dealing with that case, in Addition to parallel Efforts to Contribute at least in certain Key Points for the on-going collective Investigations, having Published, Since 2017 up towards the End of 2019, Many relevant Press Articles on that, UnSolved yet, Murder Case, (See, f.ex., at : ... + ... + ... + ... + ... + ... + ...  + ... + ... + ..., etc).

++ Nevertheless, progressively, the Accumulation of the Various and Manifold Negative Consequences of that Long and UnPrecedented Series of 3 or 4 Obviously inter-Related Aggressions, and Other Incidents which Surrounded that Exceptional Period, Provoked, inter alia, an UnExpected, and slowly but quasi-Continuously Worsening, Handicap, making, Initially Difficult, and Later-on Painful, or even practicaly Impossible to Walk withOut, at First 1, and Afterwards 2 Crunches (sic !), in a way which, Obviously, Provokes is too much Energy-wasting and Time-Consuming, Every Day, (including even inside CoE and/or EU Parliament's very Long Corridors, in Addition to Crossing Roads through the City, etc), so that, Often, we had to Even Sacrifice Human Health by Deprivation of Sleep OverNight, in order to Compensate the Time thus Destroyed during the Day, with More and More Work during the Night, (i.e. Further Undermining Human Energy until to Provoke Dangerous Exhaustion, after More than a Year, Hindering Efficient Press Work)...


At that Crucial Moment, (i.e. Just After the Shocking Revelations which Emerged, against the then Head of Malta's "Socialist" Government, during the Autumn of 2019 : Comp. Supra), some Among the "Hotest" Topical Issues, were:  

(1) the Rejection, by the Maltese Government, of a Key Witness' Offer to make a Full Confession, involving also other Revelations against Top Officials, in exchange of Less Sanctions for himself, (Contrary to what they had done with anOther such "Witness", Comparatively More Favorable to that Government's desiderate).

(2) Then Prime  Muscat's Refusal to Resign immediately, But Seeking to Stay in Power for even More Months, up to the ...Next Year, 2020 ! While, on the Contrary, Both EU and CoE's Leading MEPs sternly Warned about Risks to, Eventualy, "Cover up" or even Destroy, possible Evidence of Crime, and Called for an Immediate Resignation, (See, f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euparliamentsaysmaltapmisrisk.html), as Also Daphne's Family, etc. (Inter alia, See, f.ex., her Son Mathiew's relevant Replies to "Eurofora"s Questions, on 12/2019, at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/daphnemurderenquirydeviationrisk.html.

(3) Moreover, CoE's Assembly was due to Debate and Decide, on January 2020, Whether Strasbourg's Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, was going to Fully EnLarge its Monitoring Procedure, or Not, on Malta's "Socialist" Government, particularly After the Problems faced by that Failed "Enquiry" on Daphne's Murder, (Comp. Supra). The Victim's Family was Desperately Asking for that... While, even EU Commissioner Reynders, Speaking to "Eurofora", did Not Exclude, a priori, a kind of Similar Procedure from EU's side, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/commissionerreyndersonmaltaenquiry.html, etc).

=> For All those Reasons, and even More (for which the Time Lacks, Now, to mention the details), it was, Then, at the Juncture that existed between the End of 2019 and the Beginning of 2020, Absolutely Crucial to be able and Free to Work Efficiently, also in among the Critical, Investigative Press-Medias, in order to Contribute towards a Positive outcome on Daphne's Murder's Enquiry, Timely, Before it might become too late...

>>> But, Suddenly, it was, also, at that Crucial Moment that "Eurofora", Curiously, had to Face an Exceptional, Totaly UnWarned, UnExpected and UnExplained Grave Attempt, (with Slandering behind the Back, by some Sly, Hidden "Sources", etc), to Seriously Oppress our Freedom to Normaly Continue our 26 Years Press Work !

This practicaly Destroyed all our Press Contacts during the Crucial CoE Assembly's Plenary Session of January 2020 in Strasbourg, and Other Important Events, (while, Afterwards, the Virus' PanDemic Crisis, inevitably, pursued much Further, until Recently, such UnPecedented Obstacles)... So that "Eurofora", which was Often Publishing Many Original News on Daphne's Murder's Enquiry, up to December 2019 included, Suddenly... "Disappeared" in that Area, for Months, during which, apparently, the Situation considerably Worsened (Comp. Supra).

Is it really Plausible that all these Astonishing, Exceptional, but clearly Converging Facts, (which all Profit Only to those who would like to Hide the Truth on Daphne's Murder), might have been Due to Pur Hasard ?...

 

 

(../..)

 

("Draft-News")

 

-----------------------------------------

 

 

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People in Europe and the World expect from CoE to make a succes of its "Monitoring" for Human Rights and Democracy, despite difficulties, said Finland's President Tarja Halonen to "EuroFora" at a crucial moment for the mecanism built 15 years ago by the paneuropean organization which celebrates its 60th Anniversary in 2009.

Halonen, known as "Mother" of CoE's "Monitoring" mecanism, a long-time MEP and former Foreign Minister before becoming Finland's President, holds a long experience in the mattter, after also serving twice as CoE and EU Chairwoman in the past. That's why she is well placed to judge how CoE's "monitoring" should deal today with some crucial issues of importance both to CoE and to the EU.

The move came just a Month before a crucial, last visit to Turkey, scheduled for June, by the President of CoE''s "Monitoring" Committee, Ukranian MEP Serge Holovaty, to finalize his Report on Ankara, the CoE Member State with the longest Monitoring procedure. From its results depends its overall credibility.

This is a Test-case, because, in fact, it's in order to avoid Sanctions threatened against Turkey by a CoE's Assembly's April 1995 Resolution for grave Human Rights violations, Democracy gaps, the continuing Military Occupation in Cyprus, the unresolved Kurdish problem, Aegean differend with Greece, etc., that MEPs decided to create, for the 1st time on April 1996, a "Monitoring" proces, allegedly destinated to check, without excluding Countries who did not fulfill all CoE's standards.

In the Past, the obliged withdrawal of Greece's Military regime and of its "Civil" cover-up out of the CoE had helped bring back Democracy in 1974. But, on the contrary, since April 1996, the idea was to "monitor" Human Rights' respect while keeping most concerned Countries inside the CoE. After Turkey's oldest example, this was extended also to several former "Eastern" European Countries, even if CoE's Assembly has imposed to some of them (fex. Ukraine, Russia, etc., after Belarus, Serbia, etc) various "Sanctions", that Ankara always avoided. Curiously more succesful even than .. USA itself, (a CoE "Observer" since 1995), which has been at least threatened with sanctions some years ago..

EU-effects of CoE's Monitoring process became obvious between 2001-2008, since the "closure" of this procedure, when CoE felt that a Country had met most of its Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law obligations, (i.e. the "Copenhagen Criteria" for the EU), helped trigger Negotiations with the EU for "Accession" or other closer relations : This occured already before the 2004 and 2007 EU Enlargements to former "Eastern" European Countries, as well as for the commencement of "accession" negotiations with Croatia, and of "open-ended" negotiations with Turkey in 2005.

    But a stricking new development are Holovaty's recent findings that on core Human Rights issues as Torture and Freedom of Expression, Turkey, even "5 Years after" CoE closed its "Monitoring", back in 2004, inciting EU to start accession Negotiations in 2005, still presents grave problems.

    His findings are of crucial importance after a 2008 CoE Resolution called, "if need be", to "seriously consider the possibility of Re-Opening the Monitoring procedure for Turkey" : A move which might affect Ankara's controversial EU bid, since EU Accession Negotiations are based on the Hypothesis that the Candidate fullfils the "Copenhagen Criteria" (See above)..
-------------------------
    Holovaty expressed his will to check  "Matters still Outstanding" and  those that he "didn't have an opportunity to discuss" at an earlier visit this year, "in order to discuss the more complex issues in greater depth", at his forthcoming New Visit to Ankara, before the December 2009 EU Summit.  This is all based on the 2004 CoE Resolution which stresses that, CoE "will continue.. post-monitoring Dialogue with the Turkish authorities,...in addition to a 12-points list,..and on any Other Matter that might arise in connection with Turkey’s Obligations as a CoE member state".

    CoE's Resolution also asks  from Turkey "to secure the proper Implementation of Judgements, particularly in the Cyprus v. Turkey InterState case", of 2001, which concerns also the plight of many Hundreds of MISSING People. It adds Turkey's obligations to "execute" ECHR's Judgements in the Loizidou case,..and in particular adopt General Measures to avoid repetition or continuation of Violations found by the Court" to the detriment of Refugees.

    Nevertheless, Holovaty said to "EuroFora" that "MISSING" persons,"might be included" and cannot be excluded, but he has yet to examine the situation "to find out  which issues will be raised" to the Turkish Government.

    Therefore, "EuroFora" asked Halonen, as the Historic "Mother" of CoE's Monitoring mecanism, if she thought that, "whenever there are grave Human Rights Violations, as fex. "MISSING" persons, attested even by ECHR's judgements, they should be always checked by a Monitoring process. Or could they be forgotten ?"
    
     - "We (CoE) must be, at the same time, Fair, Realistic, but not in the mind that "now we have Forgotten", etc., replied to "EuroFora"'s question Halonen, speaking as a matter of general principle.

    - "When we think of those People that are suffering from the lack of Democracy, of Human Rights, and of the Rule of Law", "we should find a base on how to deal with the (Monitoring) system more rapidly"', she stressed.

    - "Sometimes it's very difficult to combine Transparency and Effectivenes together, particularly in this specific case", she went on to say. But, "I have not found a (CoE Member) Country who could be insensitive in this sens", Halonen answered concerning grave Human Rights violations attested by the ECHR.

    - "I have no ready-made answer. I have the expectations that you, in the CoE, will, step by step, find the different types of the monitoring systems."

    Also "because this is a part of the UN's Post-Conflict system, (fex. when it comes to Cyprus' MISSING persons), and it's a more Global system". So that, "If we make a succes in Europe, the others will follow", throughout the World.  "But they expect that we (Europe) are this opportunity, this Opportunity to make a Succes", Halonen concluded.

    In addition, she advised to extend CoE's Monitoring to all its 47 Member States, "because, as long as we hear that, all these monitoring systems are "OK for the neighbor, but not for me", "it's very difficult" to understand. Something which could make easier to Compare...

    Finnish MEP Jaako Laakso, former CoE Rapporteur on the Occupied Territories of Cyprus and one of the 5 Signatories of the Historic CoE's call to create the "MONITORING" mecanism since 1996, was more specific :  - "We (CoE Assembly) have to find a way for the issue of Cyprus' MISSING People to be better followed", he stressed, anouncing his intention to "speak to Mr. Holovaty" about that. "There might be also other ways", added Laakso.

    - The 2008 "Year had been a very Bad one for Turkey with regard to Human Rights in general, and Freedom of Expression in particular", denounced, meanwhile, Holovaty's preliminary Post-Monitoringh Draft Report by Holovaty, published by the CoE on April 2009.

    "Amnesty International believes that freedom of expression is not guaranteed given the various articles of the Criminal Code that restrict it. .. "For example, 1,300 Websites are said to have been closed down by the (Turkish) authorities in 2008" ! While "the new Turkish Criminal Code was used to bring a total of 1,072 proceedings between June 2005 and April 2008, and led to the conviction of 192 people", for expressing views. "Representatives of the Özgür Gündem newspaper, which specialises in Kurdish affairs, ..complained about Numerous Attacks on their Freedom of Expression ...as was everyone who advocated a settlement to the question by means other than the intervention of the army" "According to their figures, 19 Newspapers had been suspended 43 times between 4 August 2006 and 4 November 2008" !...

    Moreover, on 2008,  CoE's "Ministers adopted its 4rth Resolution on the execution of the judgments of the ECHR, ...and outstanding issues regarding 175 Judgements and decisions relating to Turkey delivered between 1996 and 2008...  concerning Deaths resulting from the excessive use of force by members of the Security forces, the failure to protect the right to life, the DIisappearance and/or death of individuals, Ill-Treatment and the Destruction of property". CoE's " Ministers urged the Turkish authorities ...to ensure that members of Security forces of all ranks can be prosecuted without administrative
authorisation" for "serious crimes". Holovaty reminded.

"Nonetheless", Holovaty heard anew of "Several cases of Violence committed last year (2008) by the (Turkish) security forces". Amnesty International speaks of Many Cases of ill-treatment and Torture in the prisons and by the police". "Including, fex."'the death of Engin Ceber, a young man of 29 who died on October 2008 as a result of the TORTURE allegedly inflicted on him by police officers, prison staff and members of the gendarmerie. He was part of a group of people arrested on September 2008 during a demonstration and Press Conference in Istanbul'. Proceedings against suspects are "on-going" in this case.

- " I therefore noted an Obvious Contradiction between the Government’s stated “zero tolerance” policy.... of Torture and other forms of ill-treatment, and the different testimonies given", denounced CoE's Rapporteur.  Turkish "authorities must make considerable efforts to guarantee that proper investigations are carried out into allegations of abuses by members of the security forces and that perpetrators are effectively punished" "In this respect, I have requested detailed Statistics on the number of Investigations, acquittals and convictions in cases involving allegations of abuse in order to show the positive impact of the measures taken to date", Holovaty said, repeating a permanently unsatisfied CoE's demand to Turkey since a Decade...

    - "The Political Crisis that shook the country in the spring of 2008 highlighted the Weaknesses of the (Turkish) Constitution", which comes from the Military regime of 1982, "and the Urgent Need of Reforms", stressed from the outset CoE's Rapporteur in 2009. In particular, "the ...Democratic functioning of state institutions, including the independence of the judicial system, are crucial", he observes.

    But, "the Electoral  system and the ways in which it is circumvented do not appear to give those elected complete Legitimacy, and tend to pervert the course of direct universal suffrage", denounces Holovaty, observing that, even 5 Years later, Turkey did not yet change the 10% nationwide Threshold for a party to take any seat, which is "far higher" than the "3%" maximum in Europe and already condemned as contrary to European Standards by the CoE.

    + Moreover, EU Parliament's 2009 Report on Turkey, drafted by Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten and adopted in Strasbourg on March, expresses "Concern over the Failure of the (Turkish) Judiciary to prosecute cases of Torture and Ill-treatment, the Number of which is Growing". EU also "is concerned about continuing Hostility and Violence against Minorities" in Turkey. It also "calls on the Turkish Government to launch, as a matter of Priority, a Political Initiatve favouring a lasting Settlement of the Kurdish issue, (while "condemning violence.. and terrorist groups"). EU "regrets that No progress has been made on establishing full, systematic Civilian suprevisory functions over the (Turkish) Military".

    The final results of Holovaty's 2nd and last visit to Turkley will be known later this year, and, at any case, before EU's December 2009 Summit.

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