CHP MP Çakırözer Visits Silivri Prison: Judiciary Defies the ECtHR Ruling

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Utku Çakırözer, a former journalist and Eskişehir MP of the Republican People's Party (CHP), paid a visit to Silivri Prison in İstanbul and met with businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala, hunger striking Grup Yorum music band members, journalists Ahmet Altan, Mümtazer Türköne and Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu and lawyer Selçuk Kozağaçlı.

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Çakırözer met Kavala, the only arrested defendant of Gezi trial, shortly after the court ruled for the continuation of his arrest yesterday (December 24).

"He said that the verdict was given despite the will of judicial reform at the Ministry of Justice and the Parliament and damaged the reputation of the judiciary", Çakırözer has indicated.

'Kavala should be freed without delay'

Defining the continuation of Kavala's arrest as unacceptable, Çakırözer has stated, "Osman Kavala was surprised that the court ruled for the continuation of his arrest despite the ECtHR verdict in favor of him, just as we all were. He emphasized that the witnesses did not point at any connections between him and Gezi Park protests, either."

"The fact that Kavala has not yet been released indicates how deep the unlawfulness has got in Turkey", he has said and continued as follows:

"A judiciary that defies the verdict of the ECtHR has a very negative impact on the international prestige of Turkey. In fact, this unlawfulness should have been eliminated without the need for an ECtHR verdict. But, the ECtHR has now ruled that his rights have been violated and he shall be released immediately. The resistance against the international law needs to end immediately and Kavala has to be freed without a moment's delay."

'He has lost 30 kilos, now weighs 49'

Çakırözer also visited hunger striking Grup Yorum members:

"They have been on a hunger strike for 190 days. Barış Yüksel and Ali Aracı suspended their hunger strike yesterday. İbrahim Gökçek is still on strike. He has lost 30 kilograms, now weighs 49 kilos. He is in critical condition. The Ministry of Justice needs to immediately establish a ground for dialogue, let's not drive those people to death before our eyes."

'There are problems with prison conditions'

Meeting with journalists Ahmet Altan, Mümtazer Türköne and Gökçe Fırat in Silivri Prison as well, Çakırözer has stated the following:

"There are serious problems with the judicial processes and prison conditions of each one of these people. Just as it does in Kavala case, the judiciary disregards the will of reform and freedom at the Parliament. Courts need to claim the reform so that free thought, free criticism and freedom of thought and expression can be ensured as a human right."

'Altan verdict is a defiance'

Referring to journalist and writer Ahmet Altan, who was released from prison after serving 1,138 days behind bars and arrested again shortly afterwards, Utku Çakırözer has said,

"Though the court ruled for his release with a final verdict, another court has ruled for his arrest. This has no precedent in the legal history. This verdict is in defiance of the Court of Cassation, the Ministry of Justice and the government. One side of them says justice, another side is in favor of becoming harsher. They change from one hour to the next."

'Türköne has to undergo bypass surgery'

Çakırözer has also indicated that the coronary artery of Mümtazer Türköne is blocked by 81 percent: "He has to undergo a heart bypass surgery. But, he rejects it due to the difficult conditions that would ensue the surgery. For instance, he thinks that he will have to stay in hospital for a week after the surgery, but he will not be given a hospital attendant."

Çakırözer has underlined that it is vital that the hospital and surgery conditions of all ill prisoners such as Türköne be improved.

'His case awaits Court of Cassation verdict for a year'

Lastly, visiting journalist Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu in Silivri Prison, Çakırözer has indicated that his case has been awaiting a judgement from the Court of Cassation for a year now. The MP has emphasized that the supreme court should announce its verdict as soon as possible. (AÖ/SD)