The new Turkey Academics for Peace 21-31 March 2019
05-Apr-2019
21 March:
‘Fikret Başkaya Charged with Propagandizing for an Organization That He Did Not Name’
Writer Fikret Başkaya, the Chair and Founder of the Turkey and Middle East Forum Foundation, had his first hearing at the Ankara 21st Heavy Penal Court today (March 21).
Speaking to bianet, Başkaya's attorney Levent Kanat has stated that the prosecutor requested time to present the opinion as to the accusations and the court board has adjourned the next hearing to September 10, 2019. Read the full article
25 March:
4 Academics Sentenced to 15 Months, 1 Academic to 2 Years, 6 Months in Prison
Four academics have been sentenced to 15 months in prison; the announcement of the verdict has been suspended. Another academic has been sentenced to 2 years, 6 months in prison; the prison sentence of the academic has not been deferred. Read the full article
27 March: 2 Academics Sentenced to 15 Months, 1 Academic to 2 Years, 6 Months in Prison
At the İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court, the court board has announced its verdict for academics Feyza Akınerdem and Neş'e Bilgin. The court has ruled that the academics shall be sentenced to 15 months in prison on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK). The announcement of the verdicts has been suspended.*
27 March: Academic Sentenced to 2 Years, 1 Month in Prison
Academic Gevher Gökçe has been sentenced to 2 years and 1 month in prison on charge of “aiding a terrorist organization as a non-member.” The prison sentence of the academic has not been deferred.
At the İstanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court, Ayşe Gül Altınay from Sabancı University had her third hearing; Dr. Lecturer Gevher Gökçe, a former academic at the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts (MSGSÜ) had her second hearing; Prof. Dr. Taha Karaman from Akdeniz University, Güneş Kan Yukuş from Mardin Artuklu University and Research Assistant Serap Sarıtaş from Dokuz Eylül University had their first hearings. Read the full article
28 March: Academic Sentenced to 1 Year, 10 Months, 15 Days in Prison
While one academic has been given a deferred prison sentence of 1 year, 10 months, 15 days, the court has also ruled that the speech of Bese Hozat, whose name is mentioned in indictment, shall be added to the case file upon the request of the lawyer.
At the İstanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court, Prof. Dr. Onur Hamzaoğlu from Kocaeli University had his first hearing and Assoc. Prof. Yıldırım Şentürkfrom Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts had his third hearing. At the 33rd Heavy Penal Court, S.A. from Uludağ University had the second hearing and Dr. Özge Sanem Özateş from Hacettepe University had her third hearing. Read the full article
29 March: Support for Academics for Peace by Over 1,800 Academics from Around the World
Over 1,800 academics from around the world have made a call for Academics for Peace, who have been dismissed from universities and have been facing imprisonment for having signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime."
Referring to Prof. Füsun Üstel, who is the first Academic for Peace whose 15-month prison sentence has been upheld by the court of appeal, the open letter of support signed by more than 1,800 academics has expressed "solidarity with the academics and students who are targeted by the regime in Turkey for exercising their freedom of speech and academic freedom." Read the full article