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The
case against the six people who were arrested and
charged in December last year under anti-terror legislation,
as part of an operation against political activists
supporting the struggle for democracy in Turkey, continued
at Bow Street Magistrates on Monday 10th March. The
case had previously been adjourned four weeks prior
and was adjourned for a further four weeks until Tuesday
8th April. The prosecution said that they had to serve
additional papers and that they would do this on 24th
March. They have indicated that they intend to pass
this over to the crown court now. The next appearance
at Bow Streets magistrates is likely to be the last
time the defendants appear at a magistrate's court.
Since
being charged in the middle of December last year
the defendants have had their case adjourned three
times, all because the prosecution was not able to
serve papers. The prosecution gave a brief outline
of the case against each of the defendants, although
that was not necessary at this stage. It included:
a photo of one of them playing a guitar on stage at
a concert; receipts of money transfers to a legally
registered magazine in Turkey; accounts of people
being stopped when legally entering the country with
legal publications; and surveillance records of people
being on a May Day march in London. As this is likely
to be the last time that the defendants appear at
the magistrates and because any trial at the crown
court is unlikely to start until September there should
be a large turn out at the next hearing on 8th April.
Incidentally
the name the police gave the operation was `Coxswain'.
Before you all go running for your dictionaries it
means someone who steers a boat (apologies to those
who knew that). What fun the spooks have in thinking
up names for their operations. Perhaps it is a clue.
Whose hand is really on the tiller?
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