'Refusing to reinstate Academics for Peace is unlawful'

"Demanding peace is not a crime, it can't be put on trial." (Photo: Academics for Peace)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The University Faculty Members Association (ÜNİVDER) has denounced the State of Emergency Commission's recent decisions not to reinstate the Academics for Peace.

"The commission's decisions are unlawful and are in itself a punishment by prolonging the legal process initiated by the Academics for Peace to return to their jobs," the association said in a written statement today (November 22).

Since October 28, the commission has rejected the applications of nearly 90 academics despite a Constitutional Court ruling that their trials for "terror propaganda" violated their rights.

The State of Emergency Commission ignores the top court ruling by justifying its decision "as if signing the declaration was a crime," the association noted.

CLICK - Commission refuses to reinstate Academics for Peace despite Constitutional Court ruling

CLICK - 'De facto punishment of Academics for Peace continues'

"Trying to justify the dismissal of the Academics for Peace by statutory decrees with non-legal reasons such as 'the opinion of the superior,' the commission pretends to be a court with its decisions of rejection.

"It is clear that the rejection decisions of the State of Emergency Commission are political. With these decisions, it is tried to prevent the struggle of the Academics for Peace to return to their jobs and to prolong the legal process.

"As the University Faculty Members Association (ÜNİVDER), we demand the reinstatement of the Academics for Peace who were dismissed by statutory decrees and declare that we will continue to stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Academics for Peace."

More than 1,000 academics were dismissed from their posts in early 2016 for having signed a declaration criticizing the government over the military conflict in the country's predominantly Kurdish-populated regions.

Put on trial for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization," hundreds of them were given prison sentences. After the Constitutional Court ruling in July 2019, all academics have been acquitted. (HA/VK)