E/CN.4/1996/72 page 31 Observations 69. On 7 December 1994 an arson attack was carried out on the premises of the Turkish Islamic Cultural Association in Worms. Damage amounting to roughly DM 5,000 was caused. On 21 March 1995 the public prosecution office in Mainz preferred an indictment before Worms Local Court - sitting with two lay judges - against two Turkish nationals for this arson attack. According to the assessment made by the public prosecution office, there have so far been no indications of a political or racist motivation for this crime. 70. Judgement has not been delivered in this case yet. Case No. 1995/11 Identities Yusuf Karbuz Riduan Tunç Mahmut Türkücü Nuri Demir Remzi Braul R. Aslan Yasar Döner Mahmut Tabul Hüseyin Altigan Allegations Place: Hanover (Lower Saxony) Date: 17 March 1995 71. It has been reported that nine Turkish prisoners whose names are mentioned above went on hunger strike in Hanover Prison on the ground that they were subjected to heavy imprisonment because of their foreign status. It was also claimed by the prisoners that Turkish criminals receive longer terms of imprisonment than their German counterparts who had committed the same crime and that, in such situations, Turks were convicted while Germans were released. Observations 72. The Turkish Embassy has approached the Federal Government on the same matter. In its note verbale dated 20 June 1995, the Federal Foreign Office made the following statement: 73. "Twenty-seven Turkish inmates were on hunger strike between 15 and 22 March 1995 in Hanover prison in order to protest against the rulings of the German courts, which they regarded as being unfair, particularly with regard to the extent of the sentences imposed. At no time was the health of the inmates in danger. 74. The Legal and Constitutional Committee and the Sub-Committee ’Prison and Support of Convicts’ of the Regional Parliament of Lower Saxony dealt with this incident in detail. In doing so, they ascertained that there had been no human rights violations and that the allegations were unfounded. In particular, subsequent to discussions with the foreign inmates, the conviction