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Turkish LGBT+ activist released, but prosecution continues

Leading LGBT+ human rights defender, Ali Erol, co-founder of Kaos GL Association, Turkey’s first registered LGBT organisation, was released from detention yesterday, February 6.

Ali Erol
Ali Erol

Erol was arrested at the home he shares with his partner in Ankara, early on the morning of Friday, February 2.

While he has been released, his case remains under judicial review and his prosecution continues.

Erol is required to appear before the police periodically and is banned from leaving the country. The exact reasons surrounding his arrest and the prosecution has been kept confidential by authorities, though Kaos GL reports that the police had a warrant for his social media posts.

Yildiz Tar, media and communications coordinator at Kaos GL, said: “Secrecy is a very common strategy in Turkey. First they detain, ask questions about something, then they prepare the charges and we can only learn it in trial or just before the trial.”

Jessica Stern
Jessica Stern

Jessica Stern, Executive Director at OutRight Action International, added: “The ambiguity of the case and seemingly arbitrary reasons for Ali Erol’s arrest speaks to the deteriorating situation faced by LGBT, and all, human rights defenders in Turkey.

“The blanket ban on LGBT+ events already trampled on the rights to assembly, now even the rights to express oneself freely is being punished.

“The Turkish government needs to stop violating the human rights of its citizens immediately.”

In November 2017, the governor of Ankara banned all LGBT+ related events in the Turkish capital, citing that such events could spur public animosity from other groups, and the need to maintain safety and security. Since the ban, LGBT+ organisations have been on alert and face increasing pressure.

Under the current authoritarian regime, it has been reported that over 50,000 dissenters, opposition leaders, human rights activists, and journalists have been heavily persecuted and arrested.

A press release issued by Kaos GL, says: “Each year, thousands of human rights defenders are trying to be silence through fabricated or ridiculous reasons that turn into lengthy, costly and mostly unjust judicial processes.

Trying to suppress the courage of human rights defenders is a common tactic by those violating rights. Because of this, protecting human rights defenders is a fundamental area of work for human rights organisations across the world today. Because fear is as contagious as courage and fear can only be beaten by standing with courage.”

THEATRE REVIEW: Spamalot @Eastbourne

Spamalot

Devonshire Park Theatre

Eastbourne

Funnier than the Black Death & lovingly ripped off from the hugely successful 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this spammier than ever production is full of misfit knights, killer rabbits, dancing nuns and ferocious Frenchmen.

This is a gleefully silly and highly polished production of Spamalot from Selladoor Productions clip clops with the aid of some African Swallow imported coconut shells into the delightfully comfortable Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne this week.

It’s a perfectly scored homage to musicals in general with much ruthless deconstructing and adoring echoing and has maintained a very close following of the original theatrical production along with the films from Monty Python.  Its draft, a little crude, wonderfully familiar, endlessly strange and done with a warm and engaging humour which drawn the audience in instantly with laughter and then leads them and the cast around its merry way.  There’s plenty for the hard-core Python fan, one of whom I had with me and he was very pleased at all the references and wink winks, nudge nudges at their classic scenes.

Director Daniel Buckroyd keeps everything tight with just enough space for some fun mucking about by the cast, the set is panto level silly with some wonderfully knowing gags, the costumes are fun, the sequined nuns a real delight and the dancing is sharp and tight. The choreography from Ashely Nottingham was excellent and gave the show the huge jazz handed musical underpinning it needs to succeed as a song and dance show as well as a silly comedy show. A hard act to balance but one done with real style and panache by this talented cast.

The plot and narrative bounce around as much as the cast, its part Camelot, part Holy Grail, wholly daft but also with an almost coherent hero’s journey narrative which gives away quite how much Eric Idol loves musicals deep down.   The cast shines one and all, Bob Harms King Arthur is the triumph of self-delusion and lurches from disaster to mishap with perfect timing,  with Rhys Owen as his sidekick and perfect not-so-straight- man. Owen is lovely, funny, touching and sweet and milks the laughs.   Sarah Harlington does starlet with a real brilliant shine as Lady of the Lake, her voice soaring, her comedy timing as sharp as her nails and with a glamour that every musical needs, she nailed it, time and time again.

The rest of the ensemble cast do excellently and there’s not a misstep apparent, singing and dancing their way with committed abandon. The staging is worth a mention too as it pulls off some fun effects, the entrance of the lady of the lake is handled very well and there’s plenty of silly goings on with the set as with the story.

It’s a charming production with a superbly talented cast done with energy and charm and presented in a warm and comfortable theatre with reasonable ticket prices and a very cheap bar, with free parking just outside, now what could be better than that!

You can get there and back, drink and have good seats for half the price of a Brighton night out.  The Devonshire Park Theatre gives not just seriously good value for money but also a seriously entertain show with Spamalot and id’ recommend this silly, daft show. You’ll leave singing the tunes and feeling very jolly indeed even if your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries.

Plays until  Saturday, February 10

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne

For more info or to book tickets see their website here

 

 

 

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