Friends of jailed journalist Barış Pehlivan celebrate his birthday

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Barış Pehlivan, the Editor-in-Chief of Odatv news website, has been arrested due to a news report regarding the death of a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer in Libya. Pehlivan has turned 37 behind bars.

His friends have come together in Özgürlük Park, or Freedom Park, in Göztepe, İstanbul to mark the birthday of Pehlivan.

In their surprise birthday organization for the journalist, who has been held in isolation in prison, his friends have opened a banner that reads, "Happy birthday Barış Pehlivan. We are so lucky to have you."

Pehlivan will see the banner and the picture of his friends in the newspaper that will be given to him tomorrow (July 11).

CLICK - Three journalists released, three remain in jail in case over reporting intelligence officer's killing

The following statement has been made on behalf of Pehlivan's friends:

"Barış Pehlivan turns 37 today.

"He spent 2 of the last 10 years of his life in prison. It is not because of murder, but because of what he wrote.

"Barış Pehlivan is 444 months old today.

"He was put on trial in heavy penal courts in 78 of the last 120 months of his life. It is not because of fraud, but because of reporting news.

"Barış Pehlivan is 13,515 days old today.

"He has been in isolation in the last 126 days of his life. It is not because he disturbed order in prison, but because of unending anger for his opinions.

"Barış Pehlivan is a 324,360-hour-old human today.

"He has been away from his child for the last 3,024 hours. It is not because of long ways, but because he is even forbidden to see him.

"His mother gave birth to Barış 37 years ago for once.

"As for Barış, he has given birth to himself as a journalist. As a father... He has given birth to himself as an intellectual walking against the wind. As a defendant defending the pen, paper and opinion at court rostrums... He has given birth to himself as a friend of birds at the yard of a solitary cell.

"One can sometimes forget his own birthday. Now, millions awaiting the freedom of Barış like their own remember July 10. They wait for the day when he will be outside with other unjustly arrested people of thought.

"Happy birthday Barış!"

If you want to celebrate his birthday, you can share your messages under the hashtag #İyikiDoğdunBarış (Happy birthday Barış). Your messages will be conveyed to Barış Pehlivan by the "Have You Heard Initiative."

What happened?

Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan was arrested on March 6 over a news report published on the website about the scenes from the funeral of a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer who lost his life in Libya, but whose name has not been announced.

In the first hearing of the case four months later on June 24, Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan, Odatv News Director Barış Terkoğlu, reporter Hülya Kılınç, Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik, Yeni Yaşam Managing Editor Aydın Keser, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel stood trial.

The İstanbul 34th Heavy Penal Court has ruled that Barış Terkoğlu, Ferhat Çelik and Aydın Keser shall be released while Barış Pehlivan, Hülya Kılınç and Murat Ağırel shall remain behind bars. (HA/SD)