‘Urgent Release for Everyone Deprived of Their Freedom Due to Their Thoughts’

Click to read the article in Turkish

Formed by a group of journalists to raise concerns and publicity about the imprisoned journalists in Turkey, "Haberin Var Mı" (Have You Heard) Initiative has released a new video about their jailed colleagues.

The video has come at a time when the new parole bill is expected to be voted at the General Assembly of the Parliament today (April 9).

The Initiative has requested that journalists and political prisoners be also included in this bill on criminal enforcement. Raising concerns that the jailed journalists are left vulnerable to the deadly coronavirus outbreak behind bars, the Initiative has shared the following video in Turkish:

İnfaz yasası 3 gündür Meclis’te görüşülüyor. Tasarıda pek çok ağır suç kapsama alınırken, sadece mesleklerini yaptıkları için hapsedilen gazeteciler virüs kapma tehlikesi altında, demir parmaklıkların ardında bırakılıyor. #GazetecilereTahliye pic.twitter.com/olIDYKoYWP

— Haberin Var Mı? (@HVMinisiyatifi) April 9, 2020

'Don't put their lives in danger'

"The law on criminal enforcement is being debated at the Parliament for three days. While several serious offenses have been included in the bill, the journalists imprisoned solely because they did their job are left behind bars, face to face with the danger of contracting the virus.

"Journalists, political arrestees, lawyers, human rights defenders and lawyers are left to the outbreak. The new parole bill drafted due to coronavirus outbreak is both against the law and conscience.

"Prisons are packed. While insufficient ventilation, nutrition and hygiene conditions are increasing the risk of an outbreak with each passing day, thousands of people are excluded from reduced prison sentences.

"The ones declared 'terror criminals' because they expressed their thoughts are punished once again. Their healths and lives are disregarded.

"Don't put the lives of journalists, legists, human rights defenders, civil servants, politicians, writers, students, artists and workers unlawfully deprived of their freedom in danger. Urgent release for everyone who has been deprived of their freedom due to their thoughts!" (HA/SD)