BRUSSELS - The Sabanci family's Belgian lawyer Fernand Schmitz has expressed rage against the Belgian government and judiciary for rejecting to return terrorist Fehriye Erdal to Turkey or to try her in Belgium for the crimes she committed in Turkey.
Schmitz explained the latest situation of the Erdal case to the A.A on Thursday.
Schmitz stated that the Belgian Supreme Court turned down the demands of the Sabanci family yesterday and sent Erdal's file to the Flemish region. ''This is a real political and judicial disgrace,'' he commented.
''The Belgian Supreme Court listened to the head prosecutor but the head prosecutor did not even bother to examine the demands of the Sabanci family,'' he said. ''Those courts had taken decisions in favor of Erdal when Turkey asked Belgium to return Erdal. They are the ones who said that the European Anti-Terrorism Cooperation Convention cannot apply to Erdal's case. The Supreme Court which is the highest judiciary organ totally neglected the victims of terrorism and their demands. The State Security Courts (DGM) in Turkey, which they keep criticizing, wouldn't have done such a thing. This is not justice, this is a caricature.''
''The Turkish public opinion thought that Erdal was going to be returned because the Turkish government abolished death penalty,'' he continued. ''But they were wrong, because the real reason behind Belgian's refusal to return her was not the existence of death penalty. The Belgian government and justice regards the murder of Sabanci and those who were with him as a political act. The Belgian government supports the view that Erdal is fighting for a rightful cause.''
Schmitz also criticized the Belgian police for hiding Erdal and making things more difficult for the Sabanci family.
''All these are unacceptable human rights violations. We're in a shock,'' he said.