International Support for Bülent Şık: ‘We Call for His Urgent Acquittal’

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International human rights organizations and scientific and professional organizations have expressed support for bianet columnist, food engineer Asst. Prof. Bülent Şık ahead of his third hearing tomorrow (September 26).

A lawsuit was filed against Şık on charges of "disclosure of secrets about duty" (Turkish Penal Code Article No. 258); "provision of prohibited information" (Turkish Penal Code Article No. 334); and "disclosure of prohibited information" (Turkish Penal Code Article No. 336).

In the indictment issued by Prosecutor Gökhan Boydak from the İstanbul Terror and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, the article series of Şık published on daily Cumhuriyet about cancer resaearch results have been cited as the reason for the charges brought against him.

The international organizations that have expressed support and solidarity for Bülent Şık and the messages shared by them are as follows:

Letter of support by two organizations

Pesticide Action Network UK, a network committed to promoting safe and sustainable alternatives to hazardous pesticides in the United Kingdom (UK) and Front Line Defenders, a European foundation devoted to protect human rights defenders at risk, signed a letter of support to raise their deep concerns about Bülent Şık's prosecution and call for his urgent acquittal at his next court hearing on 26 September.

The letter of the organizations recognizes Bülent Şık as "a reputable scientist, public intellectual and human rights defender", whose "writings had an outstanding impact on raising awareness in the fields of public health, environment, food safety and children's health."

It also refers to international conventions protecting Dr. Şık's rights: "It is a fundamental human right to live in a healthy and safe environment and those who defend this right should not be penalised.

"Şık's right to communicate his research to defend public health and human rights is protected by UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms."

Amnesty: Don't prosecute him, but take urgent action

In a press release by Amnesty International, the Senior Campaigner on Turkey Milena Buyum said: "Dr. Şık publicized his findings because the authorities failed to act upon them. His actions are protected under the right to freedom of expression which includes the right to freely disseminate and receive information. If found guilty and imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider him a prisoner of conscience."

"Rather than suppressing the findings and prosecuting Dr. Şık, the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities should be taking the necessary urgent action to tackle this environmental pollution and protect public health."

Letter by 180 physicians and scientists

Scientific and professional organisations continue to follow closely the case. Collegium Ramazzini, an independent, international society with 180 physicians and scientist members from 35 countries with the mission of transmitting knowledge on the environmental and occupational causes of diseases to promote good health, sent a letter to the President of Turkey and Minister of Justice, calling for Dr. Sik's acquittal.

The letter stated: "It is our professional opinion that Dr. Şık behaved ethically within the scope of his profession and that he was attempting in good faith to fufill his sworn duty to humanity by publicizing scientific findings that should have been promulgated three years earlier by the Ministry of Health." Collegium Ramazzini had made a statement about Bülent Şık.

The US based Committee of Concerned Scientists, an independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of their colleagues around the world, shared detailed information on Bülent Şık's case on its website. Scholars at Risk also mentioned the case in its report Free to Think as part of its Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

What happened?

bianet columnist and food engineer Asst. Prof. Bülent Şık faces 5-12 years of jail for releasing the findings of a research he participated in under the auspices of Ministry of Health when he worked as Deputy Director of Food Safety and Agricultural Research Centre at Akdeniz University.

The lawsuit was filed against Şık on charges of "disclosure of secrets about duty" (Turkish Penal Code Article No. 258); "provision of prohibited information" (Turkish Penal Code Article No. 334); and "disclosure of prohibited information" (Turkish Penal Code Article No. 336).

In the indictment issued by Prosecutor Gökhan Boydak from the İstanbul Terror and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, the article series of Bülent Şık published on Cumhuriyet newspaper have been cited as the reason for the charges brought against him.

The article series of Bülent Şık subjected to investigation were on "the Project on Assessment of Environmental Factors in the Provinces of Kocaeli, Antalya, Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli and Their Impacts on Health," the findings of which have not been published by the state officials.

The article series entitled "The state has concealed the carcinogen products, we are making them public! Here is the poison list" were published on Cumhuriyet daily newspaper for four days from April 15 to April 18, 2018.

After the articles were published on Cumhuriyet, the Ministry of Health filed a complaint against Şık. His first hearing was held on February 7, 2019. (TP/SD)