‘You must live, Aytaç, you must live the most now...’

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Lawyer Çiğdem Koç has penned an open letter to arrested lawyer Aytaç Ünsal, who has been on a death fast for a fair trial for 211 days.

In her letter shared on her social media account, Koç has said, "I know that a world without you and my other colleagues will be more unjust and frightening; you must live, Aytaç, you must live the most now..."

Despite the Forensic Medical Institution report indicating that "he was not in a state of stay in prison," lawyer Aytaç Ünsal was not released and referred to a hospital in İstanbul. He is still held in the Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Hospital, which is a pandemic hospital.

On a death fast for her right to a fair trial, death fasting arrested lawyer Ebru Timtik lost her life in Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, also a pandemic hospital, in İstanbul on August 27.

A request for release was previously submitted to the Constitutional Court for both Timtik and Ünsal; however, the Constitutional Court concluded that the health of two lawyers, who were both at the critical stage of their death fast, was not at risk and rejected the request.

'We have heard, Aytaç, everyone has heard!'

"Dear Aytaç, my brave colleague," lawyer Çiğdem Koç has said in her introduction to the letter, briefly adding the following:

"While Ebru is like a knife deep inside us, there is only you left to relieve this pain. That is why I am writing to you. Otherwise, I would not tell you to do anything while I still cannot raise my head out of shame for Ebru's life.

"I think I am one of those who know best how you were tried at court and the process that forced you to go on a death fast. Both your protest and your case are rightful, I know it for certain.

"It is not a big deal that I do not stand on the same political ground with you, it is because I cannot. I do not have as much love for humans as you, I do not have as strong a passion for the country and people as you, I do not have as much courage and faith as you.

"But, please be sure about this: I understand you and have great respect; I guess I also envy you a little bit, though I cannot confess it. Because I see your determination, courage, deep faith in people despite all types of information and situations, I see how you love people and each other.

"And, when it comes to you as lawyers... Is it possible to not envy you, to not be proud of you? The trials of Soma, Ermenek, Şemdinli... Too many cases to name... There is no one who does not know your practice of attorneyship, rushing to the help of every aggrieved person and everyone who feels desperate and seeking justice. Don't mind the ones saying bad words; they also know this and it is a human weakness to stop when there is somewhere that you cannot reach, but your conscience tells you to still go there. One cannot bear this burden of conscience, it is a burden heavier than life itself.

"Aytaç,

"Sometimes, I used to tell Ebru, 'Let's end your death fast for me.' She would laugh at it a lot. Because she knew I respected her decision, but she also knew I was afraid of losing her and I cannot exist at a time which sent a lawyer to death for a fair trial. So, she did not get angry.

"I do not think it is my place to tell you to 'end' it, but I still have the strength to tell you I do not want to lose you. Of course, I do not want life to give Didem yet another never-abating sorrow, I do not want your mother and father to collapse with the sorrow of losing a child and I do not want the hearts of your friends and comrades to be torn out with sorrow and rage. But, above all else, I wish that you live because we need you, I insist you live.

"They can take away your life and attorney's license at most, they cannot take away your courage, faith, love and identity as a person of law. I know that as long as you live, you will be one of the most resolute and powerful heroes of this struggle. I know that a world without you and my other colleagues will be a much more unjust and much more frightening world.

"We have heard, Aytaç, everyone has heard!

"Entrusting you to us while leaving, Ebru did this by deriving strength from your comradeship. We are no longer strong enough to lose one more person, to see one more person disappear, to feel one more sorrow.

"We will keep adding our voice to yours and crying your rightfulness out loud; but you live, will you?

"I do not know if you see me as an elder sister, but I am begging you seeing you as a brother:

"Don't leave me, don't go so that we can make them answer for Ebru and all this injustice; don't go as this world will be a worse place without you...

"There comes a time in life when we will sit and talk, we will have coffee, for instance or maybe we have words.

"You must live, Aytaç, you must live the most now...

"I kiss you on your eyes that never give up smiling..."

(AS/SD)