Relatives of Arrested Journalists: We Get More and More Concerned as Days Pass

* Photo: silivriacik.gov.tr

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The law draft on criminal enforcement jointly prepared by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) was submitted to the Parliament on March 31. The draft has 70 articles and foresees amendments to 11 different laws.

To be discussed at the Parliamentary Commission for Justice today, it is expected to pass the General Assembly of the Parliament next week.

However, the legislative proposal expected to be approved by the Parliament excludes imprisoned journalists, writers, politicians, rights defenders and lawyers from reduced prison sentences.

If the law draft in question passes the Parliament, the ones held behind bars due to their thoughts will remain in prison despite Covid-19 threat.

Within this context, we have asked what the relatives of arrested journalists think about the legislative proposal:

'Human life is at stake'

Aysel Pehlivan (The wife of Barış Pehlivan)

"According to the statements made so far, it is understood that only the convicts will benefit from reduced prison sentences and it will not apply to the arrested. A further evaluation must be done about the ones who are unlawfully arrested due to the news they reported and do not even know when their indictments will be issued, the must be taken within the scope of this draft. It is the human life what is at stake here.

"Visits have been canceled, there is only a phone call twice a week.

"The more I see how quickly the outbreak has been affecting so many people since its onset, the more concerned I am getting. It will spread much more quickly there among the people whose immune systems have weakened and it will cause more losses of life."

'They should be released before it is too late'

Hülya Oruç (The wife of Aziz Oruç)

"Aziz has an illness. He has two cysts in his head. Since he was arrested, we have been requesting that he see a doctor, but our requests remain unanswered. And, now, the coronavirus is driving us into despair. We are trying to remain psychologically strong.

"Aziz is in Ağrı, in Patnos Prison. And I am in Diyarbakır. They have banned contact visitations after the coronavirus outbreak. There was a contact visitation once a month, it has also been banned because of coronavirus.

"Though it was difficult to go and come from prison with two children, it was still lifting our spirits. Now, he only phone for 10 minutes twice a week.

"I want my husband to be released before it is too late, before coronavirus enters prisons. I want all journalists to be released. I know that they are innocently held behind bars."

'They are taking responsibility for human life'

Özge Terkoğlu (The wife of Barış Terkoğlu)

"In the current situation, we are faced with a life-threatening outbreak. They are now taking decisions at the Parliament that involve great responsibility for human lives. Because it is a matter of life and death now. An amendment excluding them pricks the conscience.

"Because what we live now is not ordinary things, we are not in an ordinary time and we are not in something that can be regarded as a part of the political dispute, either. They are taking responsibility for human life. What if these people contract the coronavirus behind bars? What if they die of it? What will they do when this disease breaks out there? Maybe they will do it after the crisis begins, after we are hurt; but it will be too little, too late. I think that an inclusive law must be made in the first place.

"I am sure that everyone who has a loved one in prison has the same concerns. We are trying to live outside by taking several measures. But no matter how many precautions they take there, it is very difficult to stop it.

"They have now suspended prisons visitations as part of precautions. We talk only on the phone. The right to make a phone call has been increased from once to twice a week, but one-hour face-to-face meetings have been replaced by 10-minute phone conversations. The entry of attorneys has been restricted. This situation has been turned into a very severe isolation.

"My husband is in solitary confinement and we are experiencing severe isolation conditions in a very life-threatening outbreak. Maybe, he will not be penalized in the end, but we live this period as a punishment."

'They can release then on probation, but...'

Ali Çelik (The father of Ferhat Çelik)

"We know that coronavirus is dangerous, it causes deaths. If it enters prisons, it will mean a massacre for prisoners.

"They do not leave our children to us even under these circumstances. Everyone is released, but journalists and politicians are behind bars. What crime did our children commit? They can release them pending trial if they want. They do not have a suspicion of escape or anything.

"They can include our children in the process if they want to do it. They can enact it in a day. But they do not do it. Even when they give the heaviest prison sentence to my son, he will serve 8 months behind bars the most. They condemn my child to death for 8 months.

"The health of our children is important for us than everything else. He did not overthrow the government, did not sell drugs, did not commit a crime... We want them to be released. We can protect ourselves outside, but he cannot protect himself behind bars.

"We are in Adıyaman, my son is in İstanbul. We can only speak on the phone. He does not have a television, there is no visitation and a restriction on attorneys. My son is falsely punished." (HA/SD)