30/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - In a press release, the leader of the GUE group, Frenchman Francis Wurtz welcomed the decision taken by the Conference of the Presidents of the European political groups on Thursday 29 January on the case brought against Leyla Zana in Turkey. Zana has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for asserting her Kurdish nationality in speeches. Wurtz says that this unanimous decision, taken after he raised the issue, was to: - invite Zana to an upcoming meeting of the Conference of Presidents; - send an official European Parliament delegation when Zana's case comes to the Court of Appeal in Ankara on 31 March; - send a letter on the case from the President of the European Parliament to the European Commissioner with responsibility for Turkey's accession negotiations. (B.C./transl.rt)