ALDE condemns the recent sentence handed down by a provincial Turkish court last week to Leyla Zana, European Parliament Sakharov Prize winner and Nobel Peace Prize nominee.  She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and forbidden from running for office for allegedly spreading Kurdish propaganda through her speeches in 2007- 2008. The confirmation of the prison term, though not applicable whilst she enjoys parliamentary immunity, is particularly unhelpful at a time when the EU is attempting to kick start stalled accession negotiations with Turkey.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (FDP, Germany), ALDE Shadow rapporteur on Turkey  declared "The verdict confirming the condemnation of Mrs Leyla Zana to serve her full prison term is unacceptable and demonstrates that Turkey still does not guarantee freedom of expression. It is high time for the Turkish government to finally implement legislative measures to ensure fundamental rights in line with EU standards"