Request for Ahmet Altan’s Release Due to Life Threat in Prisons

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Shortly after Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül announced that 17 convicts were diagnosed with the Covid-19 in prison, arrested writer-journalist Ahmet Altan's attorney Figen Çalıkuşu has applied to the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation and requested his release.

In her petition addressed to the Court of Cassation, attorney Çalıkuşu has reminded the supreme court that losses of life due to the virus have started in prisons and demanded that her client Ahmet Altan be immediately released over this life threatening situation.

Noting that Altan is 70 years old, Figen Çalıkuşu has also stressed that the virus poses a greater risk to the elderly.

'Coronavirus is a serious life threat'

Attorney Çalıkuşu has briefly stated the following in her petition:

"The Ministry of Justice announced the coronavirus deaths in prison on April 13 and indicated that 79 prison personnel have been diagnosed with coronavirus. I have been reiterating all my previous petitions of release that I submitted several times before.

"However, this time, I request that an urgent and preventive verdict of release be given in the face of coronavirus pandemic.

"Coronavirus is a serious life threat. Coronavirus poses a greater life threat to the elderly. Ahmet Altan has turned 70.

'He was arrested again despite being released'

"Ahmet Altan is not a part of the hierarchical structure of the terrorist organization, he did not receive instructions, he is not the member of the organization and he has no action that he took with the organization.

"But, he aided the terrorist organization. How did Ahmet Altan aid the terrorist organization? By writing. What is the minimum penalty foreseen for aiding a terrorist organization? It is 30 months in prison. How much of this sentence is executed? It is 10.5 months.

"Based on the assumption that Ahmet Altan aided the organization his three articles, he was sentenced to 10 years, 6 months. Though he was released, he was arrested again with an unlawful scandal.

"Ahmet Altan has been arrested for 1,290 days since September 10, 2016. If a militant law had not been operated for my client and if this unlawfulness had not been condoned, he would not be in prison now and his life would not be at such a grave risk.

'He must be released in the face of life threat'

"The right to life is the most fundamental Constitutional right and it is considered to be protected by the state. On the one side, there is the fact that my client is held behind bars by legal force and by disregarding the articles of the law; on the other side, there is a serious health risk and threat.

"Equality is another Constitutional right. There are those who were sentenced to prison for organization membership, but were released.

"I wish that an urgent and preventive verdict of release or release on probation be given for Ahmet Altan in the face of this serious life threat as soon as possible and without waiting any longer."

What happened?

Ahmet Altan was sentenced to 10 years, 6 months in prison on charge of "aiding the organization as a non-member" by the İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court; however, he was released on November 4, 2019, considering the nature of the offense and the time he had already served in prison.

Evaluating the objection of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to Altan's release, the İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court issued a warrant against him on November 12, he was detained from his home in the evening and arrested and sent to Silivri Prison in İstanbul on November 13, 2020. (HA/SD)