It was later renamed by the government as July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge.

The dead included Erdogan’s campaign manager Erol Olcok and his 16-year-old son Abdullah Tayyip, who were killed when soldiers opened fire on protesters on the bridge which connects Asia and Europe.

Erol Olcok had named his son after Erdogan and his predecessor as president, Abdullah Gul.

A total of 143 suspects, including 30 officers, appeared in court. All the suspects barring eight are being held under arrest.

They are accused of crimes ranging from murder to attempting to overthrow the parliament and the government, according to the 1,052-page indictment.

If convicted, the suspects each face 37 life sentences, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

- ‘Bullet hit me and dad’ -

Many civilians rushed to the bridge on the night of the coup, heeding Erdogan’s call to quash the putsch bid, but the renegade soldiers then shot at them.

Goksu said she got out onto the streets “without any second thought” after Erdogan’s call.

Thirty-four civilians and seven coup plotters were killed on the Bosphorus bridge, according to the indictment.

But by the early morning hours, the soldiers surrendered to police, laying down their arms on the bridge and raising their hands in an enduring image of the coup’s defeat.

Erdogan attended the funeral of the Olcoks and others two days after the coup bid, weeping openly in a rare show of emotion.

“We’re here today to settle accounts with those who attempted to invade our country,” Mahir Unal, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman told reporters before the trial began.

- ‘Students were deceived’ -

Monday’s trial is one of several legal processes seeking to bring to justice those believed to have played a role in the coup bid which left 249 people dead, not including the putschists.

Veysel Kilic, the father of one of the military academy students being held, said he did not have any hope in the “unsound” justice system.

“The students were totally unaware. They did not fire. Those children remained neutral,” adding that more would have been killed if the students had taken sides.

Last week, a court in southwestern Turkey handed life sentences to 40 people convicted of plotting to assassinate Erdogan at an Aegean hotel.

Erdogan has vowed to purge all state institutions to clean the “virus” of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen whom his government blames for the putsch.

The cleric, who lives in Pennsylvania, has denied any involvement.

Over 50,000 people have been arrested since last July, accused of links to the Gulen movement, while more than 140,000 public sector employees have been sacked or suspended. afp

On 28 September, a roundtable event titled Justice and the rule of law in the EU – the case of Vladimir Kokorev was held at the European Parliament in Brussels, under the patronage of Fulvio Martusciello, member of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Chairman of the Delegation for EU-Israel relations.

The roundtable was attended by experts, journalists, lawyers as well as friends and family members of Vladimir Kokorev, a Spanish citizen of Russian-Jewish origin who have been kept at prison on the Canary Islands for two years now, with his wife and son.

The family were detained in Panama in September 2015 based on the international warrant issued by Ana Isabel de Vega Serrano of Las Palmas Court No 5, on suspicion of having laundered money on behalf of Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the President of Equatorial Guinea.

The Kokorevs have been in prison for 24 months despite documentary evidence of their innocence submitted by their defense and full transparency of their companies. The case was classified, which prevented their attorneys-at-law from getting access to case materials.

The case was declassified in February 2017, following an official inquiry from members of the European Parliament to Spanish regulatory authorities to clarify the factual background of the case. The attorneys-at-law were astonished to see that the prosecution failed to seize evidence of Kokorevs’ guilt not only for two years of their imprisonment but during the entire “investigation” since 2004.

Spanish attorneys for Kokorev family believe that the bias in the investigation comes from political motivations, and a recent resolution of judge Ana Isabel de Vega Serrano on extending the pre-trial detention for two more years raises major concerns about her true motives.

Ilya Weisberg, Israeli attorney to Kokorev family, stated the case itself and investigation methods had nothing to do with legal practices, and pointed at a few major violations of the Spanish law.

Everyone was touched by an emotional speech delivered by Inna, Vladimir Kokorev’s niece, who arrived from Israel to take part at the roundtable. She gave us an interview and expressed her opinion on the judge’s resolution to prolong the period of detention for two more years:

“Around two months ago, the judge resolved to continue Kokorevs’ detention for another two years instead of closing the case and releasing them with apologies. Why? What is the reason? Does she want them to die in prison?

My uncle is 66 years old. He suffers from heart diseases. He had a heart attack and a stroke, and underwent surgery two years ago. We know he is barred from professional healthcare at prison, and his wife Yulia has health issues, too. Fortunately, their son Igor is sound but this is because of his young age. Igor, during his imprisonment, has become a father but, thus far, has been unable to see his young daughter who is 18 months old now.

I am not a judicial expert. Suppose, lawyers will tell you the unbiased information about the case. I just hope that you, dear members of parliament, are going to study the materials and give your fair opinion on the current situation on the case.

We used to count on Spanish justice two years ago. But now we cannot believe that a European court of today can be driven by some reasons other than law. Are they driven by the same reasons as the magistrates of the Canary Islands court who labeled all Russians as gangsters and Romanian women as prostitutes, in their private talks? The record of their conversation made the headlines and created a scandal in Spain but the involved judges escaped any prosecution. Is judge Ana Isabel de Vega Serrano who serves justice in the Canary Islands guided by the same reasons?

If my uncle were an Israeli citizen, Israel would stand up for him; however, Kokorev is a citizen of Spain, which ranks as the most anti-Semitic country in the European Union and where some judges still have the attitudes that were typical for the 15^th century.

Spain proposes citizenship for Sephardic Jews whose ancestors were forced to flee from Spain 500 years ago. The applicants who can prove their Sephardic descent receive the Spanish passport. By doing this, Spain seeks to enhance its image of a European democratic country. I wish I knew how many people took advantage of that opportunity to claim Spanish citizenship and I want to give advice to those who are not sure whether to apply: Watch out for the country where you would be deprived of any rights and be made whipping boys at any time.

We are not going to accept the situation that our relatives are in prison for no fault of theirs, and we ask European bodies for help and support. Not only are the rights of a single family trampled underfoot on the Canaries, but the European values are also trampled, especially a human right to due process.”

A day before the roundtable in Brussels, it became known that Yulia, Kokorev’s wife, was reportedly released from the Las Palmas prison and that the amount of bail for Kokorev himself was cut down to €600 000, from €2 million. Their defense attorneys believe that even if the Kokorev family are finally released, they would resemble people placed under house arrest as they would be forbidden to leave the Canaries, and the islands would be a new big prison for them.

In his official statement on the results of the roundtable, Fulvio Martusciello said:

“As a member of European Parliament, I speak for justice and the supremacy of law. As chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Israel, I advocate the Jewish belief and legacy. This is my mission. And for both reasons, I am deeply concerned about the Kokorev Case.

It is not for us to decide if Mr. Kokorev is guilty or innocent of the charges against him. But what should concern us all is the fact that he, his wife and son are being denied justice and due process of law. Two years in detention without specific charges with the prospect of a further two years for no good reason is an affront to all that we Europeans believe in.

Being able to answer charges and defend oneself in court are the basic human rights. I am taking the case under special control and propose that the case be reviewed at a European Parliament session as part of the independent investigation.

We encourage and give our full support to Kokorev family’s defense attorneys in order to bring any relevant actions in this matter against Spain before the European Court of Human Rights, and place The Kokorev Case in the High Courts of Madrid. The treatment of Vladimir Kokorev is shameful, anti-Semitic and an affront to the basic values of the EU.”

“Shame on you!”, they shouted in a stand-off involving around 30 people, as many police officers, as well as a dozen security guards.

Hundreds of people, including singer and human rights campaigner Lily Allen, were protesting outside, holding up signs saying “Justice for Grenfell”.

One protester held up a “Wanted” poster for an executive who manages the building, accusing him of “corporate manslaughter”.

Residents had long complained about fire safety risks at Grenfell Tower, but said the concerns of the multi-ethnic, largely working-class inhabitants had been brushed off by local authorities.

“We are in the richest borough in the UK and in this very borough we have a building where some of the poorest live and the safety measures are totally inadequate,” said Mustafa Al Mansur, one of the organisers of the demonstration.

“We need to know what commitment the council is taking to ensure this tragedy is not repeated,” he said. “We need to know exactly the number of people who were there during this tragedy.”

There were chaotic scenes as angry protesters shouted through a loudspeaker, with one woman saying: “We are in pain. We have been trodden on by people who say they are there to protect us.”

Another said: “It was a death trap and they knew it.”

The protesters also held up pictures of those still missing and now feared dead, as the crowd shouted: “No justice, no peace!” .

CAN’T RESPECT THE BODIES

“We are not here to trouble people. We just want answers,” said Salwa Buamani, 25, who attended the protest with her three-year-old niece on her shoulders.

“I have friends in the tower and they are not telling us anything,” she told AFP, adding: “We can’t respect the bodies.”

The death toll was revised up Friday from 17 to 30, but police warned they expect it to increase further, with as many as 70 people thought to still be missing.

Many of those in the crowd were calling for the remains of their loved ones to be returned, highlighting how survivors had described walking over bodies on the stairwell as they fled.

“They (the authorities) are clearly aware roughly of the number of bodies,” said local resident Karen Brown, 36, whose friend’s 12-year-old daughter Jessica was among those missing.

“The fact that they are not telling people is very frustrating. We are not stupid we are aware people are dead. Just tell them!”

A man shouted: “Where are our children now? In the building! No one takes care of their bodies. Shame on you!”

The crowds moved back towards the blackened tower, gaining numbers until several thousands were marching through the affluent streets around Notting Hill and Kensington High Street.

It developed an almost festive atmosphere, with locals providing free food and revellers in pubs and residents on balconies standing up and applauding as the protesters walked by.

But there was still anger, largely directed at Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who was earlier heckled and booed after visiting survivors in a church nearby.

“Theresa May it’s time to go” they shouted, while others held up banners saying “Tories out”. afp

The Spanish Courts have so far ignored the request to identify the Judge of the High Court (Audiencia Provincial) of Las Palmas (Spain) who made xenophobic and offensive remarks in the courtroom during a deliberation with three other judges.

The tape of the conversation taking place between judges Salvador Alba, Emilio Moya and Carlos Vielba was uncovered by Spanish newspaper Canarias 7. The audio log, containing racial slurs against citizens of Russia, Italy and Romania among others, and misogynic expressions is publicly available, and was aired on Spanish national TV stations.

Despite the media outcry, the Spanish Ministry of Justice has so far taken no steps to remove or otherwise sanction the involved judges. Furthermore, it has even ignored the request, lodged by the Consulate of Russian Federation in Las Palmas, to identify the judge who made the offensive remarks.

During an interview on aired Spanish National Television (TVE), Mr. Jose Antonio Penichet, the attorney of the Consulate, raised the question of whether the xenophobic attitude of Las Palmas judiciary is to blame for a flagrantly unjust treatment of the family of Spanish entrepreneur of Russian-Jewish origins, also known as “The Kokorev Case”. Vladimir Kokorev, as well as his wife and son, remain in pre-trial detention in Las Palmas (Spain) on unclear charges and without access to the case file for already over 18 months, with no expectation of a trial or even a formal accusation.

The pre-trial detention is ostensibly motivated by the judge Ana Isabel de Vega Serrano by “high flight risk”, which decisions have been confirmed by the High Court of Las Palmas.

Mr. Penichet argued that Vladimir Kokorev and his family members, with no prior convictions or criminal records, had voluntarily consented the extradition to Las Palmas from Panama, where they remained on bail for several months without any attempts to escape. Furthermore, Vladimir Kokorev (66) had suffered serious medical problems in the past years: a heart attack, minor stroke and prostate cancer. Those medical issues, are further exacerbated by over a year and a half in prison.

“I am confident that if Vladimir had a Spanish family name, he would have not suffer the same treatment,” said Mr. Penichet.

EU reporter 

By

Associated Press

Published:
16:36 GMT, 25 Nov 2016

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Updated:
16:37 GMT, 25 Nov 2016

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Paris (AFP) – Conservative French presidential frontrunner Francois Fillon hold a final convene in Paris Friday as he seeks to bind a assignment for a rightwing Republicans in a primary this weekend.

Fillon, whose swell has taken commentators and pollsters by surprise, gave an positive opening in a televised discuss on Thursday opposite his centrist rival, long-time favourite Alain Juppe.

Fifty-seven percent of viewers judged Fillon to have been a many convincing, according to an eccentric check for a BFMTV radio channel of 908 people who followed a scarcely two-hour exchange.

A sum of 8.5 million people tuned in to hear a dual ex-prime ministers highlight their differences on open zone cuts, family between France and Russia, and their views on multiculturalism.

On Friday Fillon hold a convene in Paris where he hoped to pull adult to 10,000 people, while Juppe was campaigning in a eastern city of Nancy.

Both group are positioning themselves opposite a approaching rivals in subsequent year’s election, particularly a resurgent far-right personality Marine Le Pen, as good as a Socialist celebration claimant and independents.

“I consider we am best placed with my programme to kick Marine Le Pen,” Juppe pronounced on Friday, referring to a jingoist and anti-immigration trainer of a National Front.

- Clear differences -

Thursday’s discuss expel into sheer service a differences between a candidates, with Fillon mostly portraying 71-year-old Juppe as lacking a stomach to shake adult a French economy and Juppe accusing his opposition of being unrealistic.

“It is loyal that my plan is some-more radical and maybe some-more difficult,” pronounced Fillon, whose mercantile ideas have been compared to those of late British primary apportion Margaret Thatcher.

The 62-year-old righteous Catholic wants to condense an eye-popping 500,000 open zone jobs over 5 years and throw a 35-hour operative week in a bid to kick-start a indolent French economy.

He is also some-more socially conservative, believes France is “on a verge of revolt”, and takes a harder line on Islam in France. Juppe has stressed how many on a far-right are in foster of his rival’s proposals.

“No, France is not a multicultural country. France has a history, a denunciation and a enlightenment that have naturally been enriched from outside,” Fillon pronounced on Thursday during a debate.

Seeking uninformed movement after a formidable week, Juppe seemed to onslaught to browbeat his competition though strike home with a taunt during Fillon’s alliance to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This contingency be a initial presidential choosing in that a Russian boss chooses his candidate,” Juppe said, referring to regard by Putin for Fillon on Wednesday.

Fillon believes a European Union and a United States “provoked” Russia by expanding in eastern Europe and he has criticised sanctions imposed on Moscow after Putin’s advance of Ukraine in 2014.

He again targeted what he called a “absurd” process of Socialist President Francois Hollande, who has confronted Putin over Russia’s cast of Ukraine and purported fight crimes by Russian army in Syria.

- Battle with far-right -

Le Pen is now foresee to come initial or second in a initial turn of a choosing on Apr 23 with around 30 percent of a vote, though afterwards destroy in a run-off on May 7.

But following a call of populism that led British electorate to select to leave a European Union and swept Donald Trump to feat in a United States, no one is essay off a National Front leader’s chances.

Fillon discharged suggestions his regressive proceed done it tough for electorate to heed between him and Le Pen.

“I have always fought a National Front,” he said, adding: “We have to forestall Madame Le Pen from reaching a second round.” If she did, it would be a pointer of an “ailing democracy”.

Le Pen says she wants to embankment a euro and organize a referendum on France’s EU membership — a pierce that would put a destiny of European formation during stake.

There was bad news for Hollande’s prospects of seeking re-election when an opinion check Friday showed some-more than twice as many people would cite Prime Minister Manuel Valls to be a Socialist presidential claimant over him.

Valls, a warlike Spanish-born premier, got a support of 65 percent of respondents to a Harris Interactive check compared to only 23 percent for Hollande.

Hollande has pronounced he will confirm before a finish of a year either to mount again.

Turkey’s boss has indicted a European Union of duplicity and betrayal, and threatened to mislay controls from his country’s borders, potentially permitting hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers and other migrants into Europe.

In his initial debate given Thursday’s capitulation in a European Parliament of a non-binding fortitude job on a EU to solidify Turkey’s membership talks, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) told a EU: “We are a ones who feed 3 to 3.5 million refugees in this country. You have tricked your promises.”

He added: “If we go any serve those limit gates will be opened.”

He done specific anxiety to Turkey’s categorical limit channel with EU member Bulgaria.

The European Parliament opinion was in response to a Ankara government’s clumsy crackdown following a unsuccessful manoeuvre in July. Opposition parties, rights groups and Turkey’s western allies have voiced augmenting condemnation of actions Ankara defends as partial of a fight on terror.

After some-more than a million migrants done their approach into Europe, mostly by Turkey, final year, Ankara and a EU in Mar reached an agreement for Turkey to branch a upsurge of migrants travelling by sea to Greece in lapse for certain incentives, including fast-track membership talks, billions of euros in assist for Syrian refugees in Turkey, and visa-free transport for Turkish citizens.

But a response to a manoeuvre has done European nations reduction penetrating to negotiate with Turkey, while visa liberalisation has strike a jump over Turkey’s hostility to change a anti-terror laws.

During his speech, Mr Erdogan pronounced a income betrothed had nonetheless to be delivered.

“We have been given $550m by a United Nations. The European Union promised, though a income it has sent so distant is around $700m. But what have we spent? Up to now we have spent $15bn.”

Since a thwarted coup, blamed on a network of supporters of US-based Muslim minister Fethullah Gulen, Turkey has intent in an rare crackdown, jailing tens of thousands and dismissing or suspending 120,000 people suspected of links to a cleric.

It has close down some-more than 170 media outlets, incarcerated over 140 reporters and sacked inaugurated Kurdish mayors and transposed them with government-appointed trustees.

- AP

By

Associated Press

Published:
18:57 GMT, 25 Nov 2016

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Updated:
18:57 GMT, 25 Nov 2016

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By

Associated Press

Published:
19:49 GMT, 25 Nov 2016

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Updated:
19:49 GMT, 25 Nov 2016

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Abdulkafi Alhamdo crushes rice and mixes it with lentils to feed his 9-month-old daughter, Lamar, in their kitchen in eastern Aleppo. He serves a homemade regulation done from the usually food left in his home on a ladle to Lamar, whose teeth have usually recently started to grow in.

Alhamdo spends any day with his daughter and his wife, who has been ill for 15 days with a fever. As his wife’s health has declined and her breastmilk dusty up, Russian-led airstrikes brought a large call of explosions and reported chemical weapons crusade to a family’s area this week in the latest troops debate in Syria’s polite war. After 4 years of conflict, Alhamdo wonders how his daughter, who can hardly digest his temporary meals, will be means to grow or lead a normal life.

“You can’t suppose how badly in need people are for food, purify water, electricity, fuel, it’s unbelievable,” pronounced Alhamdo, a clergyman in a war-stricken city who described to International Business Times this week what life had become for his family through voice recordings on a encrypted messaging use WhatsApp. “Hell itself would be bliss compared to Aleppo these days.”

Lina Sergie Attar, a Syrian-American who was lifted in Aleppo and co-founded a Karam Foundation, a non-profit classification focused on building a improved destiny for Syria that sends service to Aleppo, told IBT all charitable paths into her home city have been indefinitely close down by Assad’s regime.

“It’s intensely dangerous to perform charitable work as it’s bootleg to do flattering many anything in Syria,” pronounced Attar, who has struggled to broach assist to Aleppo given a summer. ”When we duty in Western Aleppo, all is totally underground, in secret. Everyone does their charitable work in tip given they’re shocked of being incarcerated or killed.”

The Karam Foundation saw several of a assist projects it has corroborated in Aleppo tumble plant to a airstrikes in new months. ”We’ve had a H2O good targeted by a Russian airstrike,” Attar said. “A bakery we were ancillary was destroyed. We had an tot regulation divert core badly shop-worn some-more than once, and changed it around to 3 opposite locations. Now, there are no some-more divert centers in Aleppo.”

Schoolchildren dispute as they leave a propagandize after shelling by Syrian rebels on government-held western Aleppo, Syria on Nov. 20, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Aleppo, one of a world’s oldest and many ancestral cities, has been decimated by a Syrian government, insurgent army and an general bloc purporting to wipeout a participation of a Islamic State organisation in a region. Russia has played a major role in deploying airstrikes around a segment given anti-government protests during a Arab Spring in 2011 erupted into a full blown polite quarrel in Syria. But for Syrians on a ground, that dispute seems reduction like a quarrel opposite ISIS, and some-more of a prolonged tenure genocide targeting children and trusting civilians. Roughly 11 million Syrians have fled their homes given a dispute began.

A United Nations attach� carrying food and assist to Aleppo was targeted in an airstrike reportedly corroborated by Russia in September, creation it even some-more frightening for volunteers and adults to go outward in hunt of shelter. Since then, attacks targeting municipal entities have been during an all-time high. 

Ahmad Aziz, programs officer for a Big Heart Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing usually charitable for Syrians by partnering with a World Food Programme and mixed other NGOs, said his commitment to Aleppo hasn’t stopped, even while confronting his possess crisis. He’s rationed usually dual months of food he’s been means to store in his home. When that runs out, he’s not certain what will come next.

“Even if a atmosphere raids stopped, people don’t have resources or options to get food. There are usually 3 equipment remaining in all of a markets: radish, parsley and spinach,” Aziz told IBT around WhatsApp.

Aziz said his city needs a people to take caring of any other by these darks times, even when they don’t have a resources to take caring of themselves. ”We have a famous observant in Arabic: a shoemaker is barefoot, a tailor is exposed and a carpenter’s doorway is broken,” Aziz said. 

People fill celebration H2O into gallon jugs, in a rebel-held besieged area of Aleppo, Syria Nov. 19, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Alhamdo and others trapped in eastern Aleppo were during slightest means to find some essential supplies and food during a summer months by subterraneous charitable aid. Now, his family is left lacking crucial, life-saving resources.

“My ill wife, we couldn’t find paracetamol, usually a small paracetamol, we couldn’t find for her,” he said. “The initial time we attempted to take her to a hospital, they couldn’t take her given there were too many people. The second time, they refused to accept her for a same reason. The third time, all of a hospitals were targeted so we couldn’t continue, we went behind home.”

Still, several of a organizations operative to put an finish to a carnage in Syria sojourn hopeful. Those charitable agencies remarkable a general village should join their efforts by donating and reaching out to their internal representatives.

“Solutions have to be political,” Omar Sawan, general programs family manager for Islamic Relief USA, told IBT. “If people were to titillate their governments to make critical attempts during solution these problems, it would be some-more effective to providing service to Syrians. It’s a formidable conditions in Aleppo that’s still unfolding, and threatens to expand. Reaching out to internal politicians and seeking them to support domestic resolutions to a dispute would be a best approach to assistance Syrians in this moment.”

An harmed child sits nearby a male as they comfortable themselves by a glow in a insurgent hold area of Aleppo, Syria on Nov. 18, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Attar also stressed the need for a common tellurian response to a charitable predicament confronting a region.

“What’s function in Syria right now is a cut on a whole common humanity,” she said. “This is a largest charitable predicament of a lifetime. Aleppo has been damaged by wars before and it will be rebuilt again. You’ll never be means to extinguish Aleppo. The universe unequivocally needs to consider about their roles in assisting a Syrian people or examination in silence.”

As for a Syrians remaining in Aleppo, a city’s walled off borders hasn’t stopped them from enchanting with a worldwide web. Each day, residents share photos with reporters by Whatsapp and other encrypted messaging apps to equivocate supervision surveillance. They watch general news reports, and have thoughts for tellurian audiences examination a developments reveal online, as good as for a subsequent boss of a United States, billionaire Donald Trump.

“For all who are listening now: Please forget your nationality. Forget your religion. Forget your domestic views. And remember your humanity,” Alhamdo pronounced Tuesday. “Those people who are now surrounded inside Aleppo, they are being killed any day with all kinds of weapons. They are failing given of fear, they are failing given of pain, they are failing given of hunger, they are failing given of diseases… Just suppose if these people who are in craving were your children. This is my summary also for Trump.”