Statement by Amnesty International on Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Gençay Gürsoy

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Amnesty International has released a written statement in solidarity with Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and Prof. Dr. Gençay Gürsoy, who have been sentenced to 2 years, 6 months in prison and 2 years, 3 months in prison respectively for having signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime" prepared by Academics for Peace.

The prison sentences of the academics have not been reduced or suspended by the court board of the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court.

In the statement released by the Amnesty International, it has been reminded that the court board added evidence to the case files of the academics after the Prosecutor's Office had announced its opinion as to the accusations.

It has also been emphasized that "the documents and a scientific report, which do not constitute a crime, are open to public access and need to be evaluated within the scope of freedom of expression, have been turned into a reason for the aggravation of their sentences."

"Turkey is responsible for protecting Korur Fincancı"

Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International's Turkey Strategy and Research Manager has made the following remarks:

"It cannot be a crime to share rights violations with the media or document human rights violations. It is unacceptable that Fincancı has been given such a sentence though there is no crime that she commited.

"On the contrary, as required by international obligations, the authorities in Turkey are responsible for protecting human rights defenders like Korur Fincancı and to provide them with the environment where they can practice their professions in the best way possible.

"An example of pressure on civil society"

"The verdict given in the case of Fincancı is a very familiar example of the increasing pressure on human rights defenders and civil society in Turkey.

"The Anti-Terror Law is being arbitrarily used to silence rights defenders and journalists who express dissenting opinions.

"Especially the constraints on the works of rights defenders have been considerably spreading to the society.

"This deterioration in human rights should come to an end now, the fabricated charges brought against rights defenders should be immediately dropped and rights defenders should be set free."

CLICK - Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı Sentenced to 2 Years, 6 Months in Prison

CLICK - 'State Did Not Let Me in Prison as an Observer, Now I Enter Officially'

"Interviews added to Gürsoy's file in the last minute"

Reminding that former Chair of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Gençay Gürsoy was also sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison on December 11, Gardner has also stated:

"In the hearing of Gençay Gürsoy as well, the interviews that he gave to the press and his social media posts were added to the case file as evidence though they did not constitute a crime.

"The sentence of Gürsoy was aggravated because he was the Chair of the TTB when he signed the declaration and the TTB accepted the declaration.

"Both cases have openly revealed the malicious attitude to rights defenders."

CLICK - Prof. Dr. Gençay Gürsoy Sentenced to 2 Years, 3 Months in Prison

About the Trials of Academics

On January 10, 2016, 1,128 academics published a declaration entitled "We will not be party to this crime" on behalf of the Academics for Peace initiative.

With the participation of further academics, the number of academics who have signed the declaration has reached 2,212.

With the indictment issued by the Prosecutor İsmet Bozkurt, lawsuits were filed against the academics on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article No. 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law No. 3713.

As of December 19, 2018, 429 academics had stood trial since December 5, 2017. 59 of these academics were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison; 3 academics to 1 year and 6 months in prison; one academic to 2 years and 3 months in prison; one academic has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison.

The ones who did not request suspension of announcement of verdict

Until today, nine academics have not accepted that the announcement of their verdicts be suspended. While six of these academics have been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison, three academics have been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison and one academic has been sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison.

* Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı - At the 32nd Heavy Penal Court - 1 year, 3 months in prison. While the sentence has been reduced, the announcement of the verdict has not been deferred.

* Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstünel - At the 32nd Heavy Penal Court - 1 year, 3 months in prison. The sentence has been reduced. The announcement of the verdict has not been deferred.

* Prof. Dr. Ayşe Erzan - At the 32nd Heavy Penal Court - 1 year, 3 months in prison. The sentence has been reduced, the announcement of the verdict has not been suspended.

* Prof. Dr. Nesrin Sungur Çakmak - At the 32nd Heavy Penal Court - 1 year, 3 months in prison. The sentence has been reduced, the pronouncement of the verdict has not been suspended.

* Prof. Dr. Özdemir Aktan - 1 year, 3 months in prison. While the sentence has been reduced, the pronouncement of the verdict has not been deferred.

* Lecturer Aslı Takanay - The verdict has not been pronounced.

* Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esra Arsan - The verdict has not been pronounced.

* Prof. Dr. Gülhan Türkay - 1 year, 3 months in prison. While the prison sentenced has been reduced, the pronouncement of the verdict has not been suspended.

* Dr. Lecturer Lütfiye Bozdağ - 1 year, 6 months in prison. Her prison sentence has not been reduced. The announcement of the verdict has not been deferred.

The ones whose statements were not taken

* Research Assistant Onur Baysal - At the 28th Heavy Penal Court - 1 year, 3 months in prison. The court deferred his sentence without demanding his statement about it.

* Dr. Yonca Güneş Yücel - At the 28th Heavy Penal Court - 1 year, 6 months in prison. It was claimed that the academic accepted the suspension of the announcement of the verdict though her statement was not taken. The verdict has been deferred on the condition of 2-year probation.

* Prof. Dr. Gençay Gürsoy - At the 37th Heavy Penal Court - His statement as to the suspension of the pronouncement of the verdict was never taken. He has been sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison.

On March 10, 2016, the Academics for Peace made a statement for press and shared with the public what they had been going through since the declaration "We will not be a party to this crime" was published. The academics Dr. Lecturer Esra Mungan, Dr. Lecturer Muzaffer Kaya, Assoc. Prof. Dr Kıvanç Ersoy (March 15, 2016) and Dr. Lecturer Meral Camcı (March 31, 2016), who read out the above-mentioned statement for press, were arrested on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article No. 7/2 of the Turkish Anti-Terror Law. They were released on April 2016. Upon the request of the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Justice granted a permission of trial as per the Article No. 301 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 301 on charges of "insulting the Turkish Nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey and the institutions and organs of the government."

(EKN/SD)