Prison Officials: Letter Contains Communication, is Objectionable

Kandıra No. 1 F Type Prison arrestee Zafer Hakur’s letter to journalists could not be delivered as it “contained terms aimed at solidarity and communication through the press.”

Prison administration found the letter “objectionable” in its July 10 decision.

The letter was to be sent to 15 press institutions including bianet, but could not be delivered to its addressees.

Zafer Hakur is behind bars for participating in the demonstration in Istanbul’s Gülsuyu neighborhood where Hasan Ferit Gedik was killed. “I suppose we were arrested because we didn’t die,” Hakur says.

Those charged with shooting Gedik will stand trial on August 14 for the first time. Hakur and others detained in Gülsuyu will have their own trial on August 7 in Istanbul’s Kartal district’s Anadolu Courtroom, 7^th High Criminal Court.

The S-word

Hakur in his fax that made it to bianet, recounted he wrote a letter to explain their case and invite journalists to the hearing, but that the letter had been found “objectionable” and not been sent mailed. The following are taken from his fax:

“Last September our friend Hasan Ferit Gedik died in the drug gangs’ attack against neighborhood dwellers, and a few days later, police carried out a dawn operation and detained those who survived the attack. 18 people were arrested.”

“We will face trial for the first time on August 7. This is why I had penned a letter to you both explaining out suit, and inviting you to our hearing, and gave it in to be mailed. However, prison administration found objectionable the 15 or so letters that I wrote with my friends on trial for the same case.”

“The justification for finding these objectionable was stated in the administrative decision dated July 10, 2014 as follows: ‘As the letter, upon examination, contains phrases aimed at solidarity and communication about the case for which the arrestees stand trial...’”

Hakur ends his fax saying:

“Or do people not have the right to communicate about their cases?”

Timeline of events

Hasan Ferit Gedik was shot and killed in İstanbul Maltepe district’s Gülsuyu neighborhood on September 29, 2013. Subsequently, an operation was staged on the neighborhood and 18 people were arrested for “participating in May 1^st demonstrations”, and “participating in anti-drug demonstrations.”

The investigation into Gedik’s death concluded on May 20, and was accepted by Anadolu 10^th High Criminal Court. There are 35 defendants in the 311-page bill of indictment. The defendants on trial for the events in Gülsuyu including the killing of Gedik are charged with “forming gangs, selling drugs, murder, and intentional injury”. They face penalties ranging from between 11 and 269 years in prison to life sentences. (AS/PU)

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