Angela Davis calls for support for Pınar Selek ahead of hearing

Selek is standing trial for the fifth time for a 1998 explosion in İstanbul. She was previously acquitted of charges four times.

Evrim Kepenek

Angela Davis calls for support for Pınar Selek ahead of hearing

Renowned feminist philosopher and human rights advocate Angela Davis has issued a call for support for sociologist Pınar Selek, who is currently facing trial in connection with the 1998 explosion at İstanbul's famous Spice Bazaar. Selek, previously tried and acquitted four times for allegedly planting a bomb at the bazaar, is set to appear in court again on June 28, 2024, at the İstanbul 15th Heavy Penal Court.

Davis, addressing feminists worldwide and those fighting against racism and capitalism, urged these communities to stand in solidarity with Selek. In a video release, Davis highlighted the numerous instances of judicial harassment Selek has endured throughout her trial process and conveyed her strongest support for Selek.

Pınar Selek, a sociologist, writer, and feminist, has been embroiled in a legal battle for over two decades following an explosion at the İstanbul Spice Bazaar in 1998 that resulted in seven deaths and injured 127 people.

Despite being acquitted four times – in 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2014 – due to expert testimony confirming the explosion was caused by a gas leak and not a bomb, Selek's acquittals have been repeatedly overturned, leading to subsequent retrials. (EMK/VK)

Origin

Istanbul

Pınar Selek Pınar selek trial

Evrim Kepenek

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Editor of bianet Women’s News (2018). Editor of bianet Women’s and LGBTI+ News from October 2018 to February 2025. She conducts workshops on gender-focused journalism...

Editor of bianet Women’s News (2018). Editor of bianet Women’s and LGBTI+ News from October 2018 to February 2025. She conducts workshops on gender-focused journalism and reporting on gender-based violence. She is among the founders of the Women and LGBTI+ Commission of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS). She is a board member of the TGS Istanbul Branch for the 2023–2027 term. She received the Musa Anter Journalism Award in 2011 and the Turkish Psychiatric Association’s Best News Award in 2024. She worked as a reporter for Cumhuriyet, BirGün, İMC TV, DİHA, Jinha, and Jin News, and also worked for local newspapers in Rize. Her news reports and articles have been published in Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo, and trade magazines. She is one of the founding writers of GOR, a Hemşin culture magazine. She contributed writings to the books Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, and Medya ve Yalanlar. She was a bianet intern in 2000. She graduated from the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University.