JINHA

NEWS CENTER- Readers and friends of Aslı Erdoğan in Europe call for the release of Aslı Erdoğan as well as the scientist Necmiye Alpay and elected co-mayors of Amed (Diyarbakir in Turkish), Gültan Kisanak and Firat Anli immediately.

Readers and friends of Aslı Erdoğan in Europe released a press statement titled “Aslı Erdoğan and all other journalists must be released immediately!” and called for the immediate release of Aslı Erdoğan as well as the scientist Necmiye Alpay and elected co-mayors of Amed (Diyarbakir in Turkish), Gültan Kışanak and Firat Anlı in the statement. The statement is as follow;

“Aslı Erdoğan, accused of being a member of an armed terrorist organization and damaging the unity of the state, has been arrested and imprisoned. This is contradiction with the Turkish's law. Every proceeding to release her has been rejected without any ground.

Why should Aslı be immediately released?

Because there is not any single materiel or legal evidence for those accusations: make terror propaganda, be a member of terrorist organization and damage the unity of the state. However, according to the Turkish constitution and to the current laws, legal action can only be taken with evidences. There must be “important evidence of being guilty” in order to imprison someone. But none of them pop up.

Aslı Erdoğan was only a volunteer representative and editorial consultant of the daily newspaper “Özgür Gündem”. She did not have any responsible position there. She is accuses of criminal activities without legal reasons. Aslı is a peace activist who tried to continue her own life and work under the extraordinary and unusual circumstances of the current Turkey. Since there is not any material evidence for her imprisonment, this is an extrajudicial proceeding.

As well as Aslı Erdoğan, we also call for the release of the scientist Necmiye Alpay and elected co-mayors of Amed (Diyarbakır in Turkish), Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı immediately. We wish that the journalists and writers Can Dündar and Pinar Selek, who live in exile, and other journalists, can return their home in freedom.

We call for lifting the bans against daily newspapers (Özgür Gündem), publishing houses, journals, television channels (#hayattv, #imctv) and radio stations.

To all readers who care about peace, and to all who care about the freedom of thought: Let us act together to fight against injustice and consolidate the freedom!”

(gd)