Ankara/Copenhagen/ Brussels, 20 June 2016
President of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), Şebnem Korur Fincancı, together with Erol Önderoğlu (a Journalist from Reporters Without Borders) and the author Ahmet Nesin have just been sent to prison, on Court order, after they participated in campaign against the censoring of the newspaper Özgür Gündem.
In the context of the ongoing conflict taking place in the Kurdish region, the Turkish authorities are trying to silence all critical voices, from academics who call for peace, to lawyers, human rights defenders and Journalists. Media companies, particularly those producing reports on Kurdish issues, are targeted by direct and indirect censorship and pressures.
To visibilize and denounce this situation, Özgür Gündem (the biggest and oldest newspaper on Kurdish issues) has been inviting journalists, intellectuals and activists from various NGOs to serve as the editor in chiefs of for a day. It is called “guest editor in chief campaign” and aims to show solidarity.
40 people have so far joined this campaign and prosecutors initiated judicial investigations against all of them for “making propaganda of terrorism”. It is in this context that of Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu and Ahmet Nesin have been arrested.
In light of above, EuroMed Rights calls on the European Union and its Member States to urge the Turkish authorities to release Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu and Ahmet Nesin, drop all charges held against them and put an end to the harassment of all human rights defenders and journalists.
EuroMed Rights calls on the authorities in Turkey, to:
- Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu and Ahmet Nesin, in all circumstances;
- Release them immediately and unconditionally, and drop all charges against them and all those who served as editors-in-chief of the newspaper Özgür Gündem, since their arbitrary detention prevents their freedom of expression and their human rights activities held in solidarity of freedom of press;
- Put an end to all acts of harassment, intimidation against all human rights defenders and journalists, including those at judicial level;
- Put an end to the crackdown on human rights defenders in line with Turkey’s international commitments;
- Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.