Turi Vaccaro
In prison for ploughshares action
Address:
Turi Vaccaro
HvB De Boschpoort
Nassausingel 26
4811 DG Breda
Netherlands
BREDA, 13th October 2005 (Ravage) - Six months with a reduction for the time already spent on remand and 1 million euro in damages to be paid immediately. These are the demands of the prosecutor in Breda police court, where 54 year old Turi Vaccaro is facing trial after disarming two F-16's at Woensdrecht Airbase in the Netherlands.
This demand brought applause from Turi, who also called on the prosecutor to increase the sentence to a whole year "The time I'm spending in prison at the moment is the best in my life. I have space and time to meditate and I would like to thank the Dutch government for this".
At the same time, Turi has complained that he is often placed in isolation in the prison in Breda. "I shouldn't have to suffer in my struggle for peace". The prison guards continue to offer him food although Turi is fasting, and has sufficient water.
The court hearing on 13th October is already the fourth hearing in this case. Lawyer Meindert Stelling made two complaints during the first hearing on 1st September against the suitability of the judge. The reason was the failure of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) to investigate the criminal behaviour of the state, and only concentrate on the behaviour of Turi on the airbase.
After evidence from Susan van der Heijden on the Ploughshares movement, the public prosecutor made a statement against the clowning behaviour of Turi during the court case. "Is he a simpleton who was a sacrifice from the movement, someone who sings song (at which point Turi shouted "Hallelujah!") and lies on the floor of the court when he feels like it?"
The long submissions of Stelling and his use of the complaint procedure also surprised the prosecutor. He accused Stelling of trying to prolong the case: "You should realise that defending someone in court is the wrong place to expound your political arguments. Stop it at once!"
Stelling, clearly in his element, then embarked on a submission that lasted almost three hours...! "The Public Prosecution Service is making a charicature of activists, in order to obscure the context of their actions" Stelling stated. During this exhaustive statement, which demanded a large amount of attention from everyone in the court, the public prosecutor seemed to be getting provoked, drumming with his fingers on the table. He was not seen to take any sedatives.
Just as during the first hearing in the case, Stelling criticised the role of the state, which was involved in "mass murder, prepared by a criminal organisation, to which the Public Prosecution Service belong". According to Stelling, his client's action in disarming two F16s prevented a greater crime. "He has done hisduty as a citizen, and desrves to be acquitted."
In the closing statement, Turi again told how he acquired the hammer that he used to destroy the cockpits of the F16s. The holy St. Francis of Assisi is his great hero, and Mahatma Gandhi was also named a couple of times during the statement, although Turi said he couldn't understand why Gandhi was opposed to sabotage. On his way out of the court, Turi stood once more on his head. The court is expected to give a verdict on 27th October.
