“Substantial amounts”, obtained by “pressure” and “threats of ostracization from the community”. This is what the Paris Criminal Court ruled on Friday about potential financing of terrorism by members of the PKK. In the end, eleven members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were sentenced to terms ranging from three years suspended to five years’ imprisonment, one of which was suspended, for extortion and financing of terrorism.
These Kurds from Turkey, who speak little or no French, have been on trial since last week for having been part of a “network” responsible in particular for collecting the “kampanya” from the diaspora in south-eastern France. , the revolutionary tax, to finance the PKK.
Four of them appeared detained, five free, and two had not appeared at the hearing. Two men will remain in prison and two others will soon be summoned to serve their sentence.
No inadmissibility
Engaged in the armed struggle since 1984, the PKK is the sworn enemy of Turkey which considers it a “terrorist” movement, like the European Union. The qualification “terrorist” was unanimously contested by the defense lawyers who constantly put the question back at the heart of the debates.
They notably denounced the “perfect ambiguity” of the French state in its relations with the Kurds, “allies” when they fight the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria but “terrorists” when they fight against Turkey.
“If members or sympathizers of the PKK undeniably intervened on the Iraqi-Syrian front and fought jihadist groups”, the PKK “cannot be defined solely by this action” and its “terrorist character” is proven, replied in its decision President Murielle Desheraud.
Proof of the complexity of the question, however, the court followed the requisitions of the prosecution and did not order a ban on territory, usual in matters of terrorism, under the “refugee status” of most of the defendants. According to the prosecutor Xavier Laurent; “the danger they faced” in Turkey is proven.