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Those who have gathered in front of Çağlayan Courthouse upon Turkey Human Rights Foundation (TİHV) President Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative and bianet rapporteur, Erol Önderoğlu and journalist and author Ahmet Nesin getting arrested have held a press statement.
Eren: “They considered solidarity a crime”
Holding the first speech, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions on Turkey - Press Union President Faruk Eren has noted;
“Our three friends have been referred to court for arrest. We again have assumed that they would be released but all three have been arrested. Today they have considered solidarity and defending freedom of press and expression a crime”.
Güç: “Our profession is being destroyed”
Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) Chairperson Uğur Güç has expressed; “The journalists have been arrested for making news and defending the people’s right to information”.
“Our profession is being destroyed. People’s right to information is being ignored. I call on all the journalists to say ‘stop’ to this and to act in solidarity”.
Efe: “We will follow the trial”
Efe from Turkey Human Rights Foundation has noted that the arrests were meant to be an intimidation and underlined that Korur Fincancı was a scientist and the president of TİHV.
“As defenders of human rights, we will follow the trial, and will hunt them down till all our friends and arrested journalists are released.
Tanrıkulu: “I feel ashamed as a jurist”
There were also MPs among those who have come to the court.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu has expressed; “I as a jurist feel ashamed [...] for having the same profession as those who have rendered this verdict.
“I have been a lawyer for 25 years. And I have never witnessed such practice of law, neither in Military Commissions under martial law, State Security Court nor in Special Court - Martial. Politics designated and an environment of press freedom defined by [President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan rule and those who go beyond this frame have to face the severest sanctions before court”.
Paylan: No judge or prosecutor but public officials
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Garo Paylan has noted that those who have rendered the verdict were not judges or prosecutors but two public officials. He has noted that the trial had been held behind closed door in the presence of only two attorneys and thus has violated the principle of publicity and added “They try to institutionalize fascism every day but there are some who resist that”.
Eyüboğlu: Not a legal decision
Meriç Eyüpoğlu, one of the attorneys of the arrested Editors-in-Chief on Watch has noted; “There is nothing to evaluate juristically because the decision is not a legal one”. Pointing out that the judge had used the expression “no condition against arrest existed” in the decision, Eyüpoğlu has added “There will be no one left who hasn’t been here, getting arrested is ordinary when living on these lands”. (EA/DG)
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