Press Release

June 3, 1996

For more information, (202) 483-6444

Peter A. Schey, Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, (213) 388-8693, ext. 104

Kani Xulam Free On Bail, Back At Work In Washington, D.C.

On April 12, 1996, Kani Xulam, Director of the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN), was arrested by armed U.S. federal agents in Washington, D.C. Mr. Xulam was charged in federal court with having acquired a United States passport in 1986 using an assumed name. He was also charged by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with having overstayed a visitors visa after entering the United States in 1985. During the arrest, federal agents raided Xulam's home and the offices of AKIN, seizing computers, video tapes, and documents, all materials related to Mr. Xulam's human rights efforts on behalf of the Kurds.

The Department of Justice initially took the position that Mr. Xulam should be held without bail since he was allegedly linked to unidentified "terrorist" groups operating on behalf of the Kurds of Turkey. Kani was held without bail for approximately 40 days, often detained in solitary confinement, before being transferred to Los Angeles, California where the criminal charge was filed.

Following his arrest, the United States Department of Justice convinced a federal court judge in Washington, D.C. that Mr. Xulam should be held without bail on the criminal charge. On May 14, 1996, a federal appeals court in Washington, in response to an emergency petition filed by attorney Daniel Alcorn, overturned the decision to hold Mr. Xulam without bail and ordered that his eligibility for release on bail be reconsidered by the lower court. By the time the appeals court ruling was issued, Mr. Xulam had been transferred to Los Angeles.

On May 15, 1996, Mr. Xulam, now represented by Los Angeles civil rights lawyer Peter A. Schey, President of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, was ordered released on $50,000 bail by a Los Angeles federal magistrate. Under the terms of his release, Kani is permitted to travel throughout the United States and continue his work on behalf of AKIN. Mr. Xulam was then transferred to the custody of the INS. On May 20, 1996, the INS agreed to release Mr. Xulam without bail on his own recognizance, pending the outcome of his deportation hearing.

Shortly before his release by the INS, Mr. Xulam presented an application for political asylum, claiming that as a result of hispolitical and human rights work on behalf of the Kurds and his efforts to stop U.S. arms sales to Turkey, he would face persecution, torture, and possibly death if forcibly returned to Turkey. That application is now pending before the INS with a decision expected in the next several months.

In a statement released today, attorney Peter A. Schey stated: "We believe that the United States government's criminal and deportation charges against Kani Xulam are politically motivated and were encouraged by the government of Turkey. The United States government is more concerned with its strategic relations with the undemocratic government of Turkey than with the human and democratic rights of the Kurds. Mr. Xulam and the American Kurdish Information Network are dedicated to reaching a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Turkey, a war which today continues to result in the burning of Kurdish villages in southeastern Turkey, the massive displacement of Kurdish refugees, and the persecution of Kurds seeking democratic reforms."