Court Removes Arrest Warrant on Pınar Selek

Istanbul 15^th High Criminal Court opened the case of sociologist Pınar Selek - a sociologist whose judicial process for her alleged involvement in the Egyptian Bazaar Explosion in 1997 has been continuing for 16 years. 

In today’s hearing, the court ruled to follow Supreme Court of Appeals’ ruling on the overturning of her life sentence, removing Pınar Selek’s arrest warrant. 

The next hearing was set to December 5 in Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul.

On the other hand, Selek’s lawyer submitted a document of rejection by Interpol on Turkish authorities’ request for international arrest warrant for Pınar Selek. They reminded the court that Interpol rejected the request as the case was of political nature. 

Acquitted 3 times

Acquitting three times for her alleged involvement in the Egyptian Bazaar Explosion in 1997, she was sentenced to life at the hearing held on January 24, 2013. 

Supreme Court of Appeals 9th Penal Chamber where the appeal hearing was held, has reversed the aggravated life imprisonment on procedural grounds. This has been the 3rd decision against Selek which was reversed by the Supreme Court of Appeals.

“Not justice but compromise of delayed justice”

“We are at a new court now, but the case is very old,” prominent journalist Banu Güven said on behalf of We Are Still Witness (Hala Tanığız) Platform in a statement outside the courthouse. 

“It is so old that we call it ‘the old stain of the new Turkey’. Our struggle isn’t for one person but all human values that this system has left and made suffer its consequences. 

“We know that this is not justice but a compromise of delayed justice. We know it very well that a Turkey without the clearing of this stain is not a new Turkey in any way.”

“I hope everything will be settled on December 5” 

Following the hearing, Mine Günbay, vice mayor of Strasbourg city and one of the observers, told bianet the following: 

“We are so happy about the ruling. We have been expecting this because its has been going on for 16 years. The delegation from France is also satisfied with the ruling. As the municipality of Strasbourg, we have been supporting Selek since 2011. At the end of the day, she lives like a Strasbourg resident and finishing up her PhD. We continue with her struggle all together. I hope everything will be settled on December 5.”

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.