2 Journalists On Hunger Strike For 8 Socialists

Semra Çelebi, the journalist sister of columnist Arif Çelebi from Newspaper Atılım and Sedat Şenoğlu, chief editor of Newspaper Atılım have started a two-day hunger strike yesterday for 8 socialists whose requests for release have already been rejected twice.

Arif Çelebi was under arrest of Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) case.

A third objection will submitted to Istanbul 2^nd High Criminal Court on Thursday.

Atılım columnists Arif Çelebi and Bayram Namaz, Radio Özgür’s  publishing coordinator and journalist Füsun Erdoğan, Naci Güner, Seyfi Polat, Turaç Solak, Mehmet Ali Polat, Erkan Özdemir have been jailed for 7 years 6 months 17 days.

“Stop double standards in justice” 

Çelebi and Şenoğlu have started the hunger strike in Kadıköy Church Square, Istanbul. A press statement has been made with the attendance of the families and friends of MLKP case’s prisoners, journalists, Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) İstanbul Deputy Melda Onur. 

People carrying banners “Stop double standards in judgement. Freedom to socialist prisoners” written on and photographs of socialist prisoners expressed their justice demands.

Semra Çelebi read the statement on behalf of “journalists, families and friends of prisoners in September 8 case”.

Çelebi reminded that 8 socialists had prison sentences including 3 life imprisonments by Specially Authorized Courts (ÖYM):

“We are searching for justice to our akins. It just doesn’t make sense ‘how they tried to change constitutional order’ with their newspaper articles and radio programs.”

 “5 years to everybody but socialists”

“Ergenekon case defendants were released after the abolition of ÖYMs and the period of arrest decreased to 5 years. But Socialists and Kurds in the same positions are treated differently,” Çelebi said.

 “They practice double standard saying to us ‘5 years to everybody but ten years for socialists’.

After abolition of ÖYMs and decrease to 5 years of detention period, our advocates submitted two motions to High criminal Courts. The motions were declined because “the period of detention was set to 10 years while the decision was made and the defendants must expire this period.”

“4^th and 5^th High Criminal Courts treat defendants of Ergenekon case and socialists differently. These courts violate the principle of equality of constitution evidently,” Çelebi stated. 

Onur: Justice, for everybody, right now

 “We want justice, right now, for everybody. There is a real interregnum in Turkey. The government tramples on all criteria, all democratic values. It violates the law and there is a relative democracy. We actually say that everyone is equal before the law,” said Deputy Melda Onur.

Meanwhile Melda Onur became the first person to have signed petition, a document prepared to send to Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Commission of Human Rights. The petition is about to protest the double standards in law against socialists and Kurds. 

This petition will be held for 2 days. (BK/BD/BM)