Sep 18, 1961
The ICJ learnt with profound concern the sentences of death passed by the Turkish High Court of Yassiada on September 15th, 1961, upon certain accused who had appeared before the Court. Three Ministers were eventually executed.
The Commission had appointed Observers to the trials, namely Mr. Vivian Bose, a former judge of the High Court of India and now President of the Commission; Me Raymond Nicolet, an eminent Swiss lawyer of Geneva; and M. René Degouy, Président de Chambre à la Cour d’Appel de Paris.
The Commission had some expectation that the accused after sentence would receive leniency.
Immediately upon learning of the sentences the Secretary-General of the Commission, Sir Leslie Munro, forwarded on September 16th, 1961, the following telegram to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Turkey:
“ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS AND WITH ALL POSSIBLE STRENGTH I URGE UPON YOUR GOVERNMENT THAT CLEMENCY BE EXTENDED TO THOSE SENTENCED TO DEATH AT YASSIADA PARTICULARLY BECAUSE CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERTS AT THE TRIALS WERE IN CONFLICT ON THE VALIDITY OF THE CHARGES STOP WITH THE ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST RESPECT – SIR LESLIE MUNRO SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS GENEVA”
Finally the Commission profoundly regrets that sentences of death were nevertheless executed against three former Ministers of the Turkish Government, namely, Mr. Adnan Menderes, former Prime Minister of Turkey; Mr. Fatin Rustu Zorlu, former Foreign Minister and Mr. Hasan Polatkan, former Finance Minister.
The extreme penalty has been exacted for what appear to have been political offences.
Mar 8, 1961
The trial of Professor Enrique Tierno Galvan, a prominent Catholic leader of the Spanish academic community, and 9 other co-accused commences on March 9 before the Special Court of Illegal Propaganda in Madrid.
Oct 22, 1960 | News
The ICJ announced today that it has delegated Mr. Raymond Nicolet, the well-known Geneva attorney, to observe on its behalf the judicial proceedings at Yassa-Ada, Turkey.
Jan 1, 1959
Documentary evidence of the systematic violation of legal rights in the Soviet Zone of Germany from 1954 to 1958.
This edition is an extract of the document collection “Unrecht als System”, part III. The document collection “Injustice The Regime” reveals the causes of this stream of refugees constantly flowing to the West. It makes it clear, especially to jurists, what almost unimaginable consequences result from the abuse of law as a means for the achievement of political aims.
Statements made by administrative offices, courts, and leading personalities in the Soviet Zone are reproduced herein to deliver an objective report on the judicial and administrative practice of the Soviet Zone, and to help the reader in gaining a true impression of a system of law, whose representatives assiduously ignore the violations of law and arbitrary actions committed in the name of ‘socialist justice’. which their so eagerly propagate.
East Germany-rights soviet occupation-report-1959-eng (full text in English, PDF)
East Germany-rights soviet occupation-report-1959-fra (full text in French, PDF)
Jan 1, 1959
The administrative authorities have not the right to make laws by virtue of their own competence. The legislative function actually belongs to the two Chambers (Art. 70 of the Constitution).
