Press Release

October 9, 1996

Telephone: (202) 483-6444

Attorney Peter A. Schey's Telephone: (213) 388.8693 x 104

The Judge Says: Mr. Xulam to Work at AKIN Offices for 400 Hours

Kani Xulam, Director of the American Kurdish Information Network, was sentenced to perform 400 hours community service by United States District Court Judge, on September 30, 1996. He was told to log his hours at the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) beginning this Monday, October 7, 1996.

Peter A. Schey, Executive Director of Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and the attorney for Kani Xulam, met frequently with the representatives of the United States Department of Justice in order to arrive at an acceptable disposition of the charges issued by the government. At the court hearing, Mr. Schey said: "We are very satisfied with the resolution achieved in the case involving criminal charges leveled by the United States government against Mr. Kani Xulam. Early allegations that Mr. Xulam was involved in international arms and drug trafficking were eventually abandoned and Mr. Xulam pled guilty to only making a false statement on a passport application."

He went on to say, "We are especially pleased that the Judge expressed an understanding of the danger of torture Mr. Xulam would face, if he is forced to return to Turkey and recommended to the INS that Mr. Xulam not be deported. Finally, expressing an understanding for Mr. Xulam's commitment to the international struggle for Kurdish civil and political rights, the Judge essentially limited Mr. Xulam's sentence to working at the offices of the American Kurdish Information Network."

During the hearing the Judge acknowledged and referred to the supporting statements in letters he had received on Mr. Xulam's behalf from various civil and human rights organizations including groups such as the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, the Center for Victims of Torture, and the Armenian National Committee of America.

Following his sentencing, Mr. Xulam said: " I wish to thank those who have stood by me in these difficult times through expressions of support submitted to the Federal Court and the Immigration and Naturalization Service." Commenting on his pending case at the Immigration and Naturalization Service: "I have asked the INS to grant me political asylum. I hope that the United States government will set aside considerations of its strategic relationship with Turkey and let the INS adjudicate my application on its merits. If that is done, I believe my application will be approved, in which case, I will continue to work for the goal laid out by the AKIN mission statement of forging a meaningful and lasting friendship between the peoples of Kurdistan and America."