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CPP congratulates Sison for Dutch court victories, urges approval of asylum appeal
PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
23 November 2007
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today congratulated CPP founding chair
and National Democratic Front (NDF) senior political consultant Jose Ma. Sison for the
series of victories in his legal defense, culminating in the Dutch Court of Appeal' s order
last Wednesday to terminate the pre-indictment investigation against him in the
absence of "any serious evidence" and "grounds for continuing the investigation"
The court also said that the charges against Sison were tainted with "possible
political context."
CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said "the Filipino people and all
revolutionary and progressive forces at home and abroad join Comrade Sison in
celebrating his consistent victories in court."
Rosal added that "The district court of The Hague and the Dutch appeals court's
decisions to dismiss the false and politically motivated charges against Comrade
Sison are big blows to the US and Arroyo governments and their security agencies
which have falsified the charges, colluded and plotted his arrest and prosecution."
While celebrating Sison's court victories, Rosal reminded defenders of Comrade
Sison and other Filipino revolutionary refugees and patriots abroad to continue
their work and vigilance "as we know full well that there is no end to the US-Arroyo
regime's evil designs and plots to continue persecuting them.
Charges of "incitement to murder" were filed against Sison in connection with
the deaths of Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara who were killed in arrest
operations carried out and acknowledged by the New People's Army respectively
in 2003 and 2004. Dutch police arrested and jailed Sison last August but he was
ordered released by The Hague District Court two weeks later due to lack of
evidence.
The November 21 decision of the Dutch appeals court junks the petition of the
Dutch police and prosecution for Sison's return to detention and further investigation.
The appeals court said: "It has been decided up to the highest possible court that
no serious suspicions against the suspect can be deduced from the current dossier
of evidence against him."
The CPP spokesperson said that "The Dutch courts' decisions have consistently
and conclusively shown that the charges filed against Comrade Sison by the
Dutch police in connivance with the security agencies of the US and the Arroyo
regime are completely false and politically tainted."
Rosal added that "These charges were filed with the aim of persecuting Comrade
Sison as well as other Filipino refugees in The Netherlands who have been actively
engaged in peace negotiations, winning support for the Philippine revolution and
linking with compatriots and with revolutionary and progressive people's movements
abroad."
Rosal said the relentless political harassment against Sison emphasizes the justness
of his appeal to be finally granted political asylum in The Netherlands. "This should
now follow the dismissal of charges against him." Sison's appeal for full political
asylum, which he first filed in 1987 while on a speaking tour in The Netherlands,
awaits the decision of the Dutch government.
Without political asylum status, Sison remains deprived of certain civil rights,
including the right to employment and travel and against deportation, rendition
to another country or forced repatriation.
Rosal said the the US and puppet regime's relentless machinations to subject
Comrade Sison to rendition to the US or repatriation to the Philippines where
political persecution, incarceration and assassination by death squads await him"
underscore the urgency of granting Sison full political asylum.
Reference:
Marco Valbuena
Media Officer
Cellphone Numbers: 09179776392 :: 09282242061
E-mail:[email protected]
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