World Information 2

Turkey’s ruling party fights
for survival in court

Agence France-Presse . Ankara

Turkey’s Islamist-rooted ruling party Thursday presented its final defence in the country’s highest court against charges that it had sought to undermine the secular system and should be closed down.
The hearing at the Cons-titutional Court, which lasted more than six hours behind closed doors, was the last opportunity the Justice and Development Party had to refute the charges before the 11 judges reach a verdict.
The case is the latest episode in a bitter struggle between secularist forces and the AKP, which won a decisive re-election victory last year despite a divisive campaign that focused on the party’s alleged Islamist leanings.
The court will now appoint a reporter to pen a non-binding recommendation on a verdict. The judges will then set a date to debate the case behind closed doors before making a ruling.

Zimbabweans seek refuge at
US embassy: US

Agence France-Presse . Washington

Around 200 Zimbabweans were seeking refuge on Thursday at the US embassy in Harare after being forced out of the political opposition’s headquarters, a senior US official said.
‘There were about 200 men, women and children that were removed, forced out of the Movement Democratic Change headquarters,’ state department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
‘We are seeing what we
can do for these individuals. We’re contacting non-government organisations and other third parties to see what support can be provided,’ McCormack said.
‘We don’t see a security risk at the moment, the individuals are outside the embassy security perimeter, but again we’re seeing what we can do for them,’ he said.

Former DRC rebel makes
appearance before ICC
Agence France-Presse . The Hague

Former Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba was to make his first appearance Friday before the International Criminal Court where he faces trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Bemba was transferred to the detention unit of the court in The Hague Thursday from Brussels where he was arrested on an ICC warrant on May 24.
The former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo is accused of a range of crimes allegedly committed by his men between 2002 and 2003, when his forces fought a coup attempt in the Central African Republic at the behest of then president Ange-Felix Patasse.
He faces five counts of war crimes and three of crimes against humanity, with specific charges including murder, rape and torture.