PEN steps up campaign for Zarakolu and Ersanlý
PEN steps up campaign for Zarakolu and Ersanlý
PEN International is closely following developments after the arrest of publisher Ragip Zarakolu. The International organization was in particularly worried by reports that Zarakolu had been moved to a high security ‘F-Type’ prison on 4 November 2011. F-Type prisons are normally used to house highly dangerous prisoners or those serving life sentences. Zarakolu was arrested on 29 October 2011, alongside over 40 other activists, including Professor Büþra Ersanlý, and is being held in pre-trial detention, charged under Anti-Terror legislation.
Both the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) and Amnesty International have previously criticized both the high levels of isolation suffered in F-type prisons and reports that individuals in these institutions have been subject to harsh and arbitrary disciplinary punishments.
Ragip’s son Deniz Zarakolu has also reportedly been moved to Edirne Prison in northwest Turkey.
PEN International is organizing a letters campaign to Turkish minister of justice, Sadullah Ergin.
The Swedish PEN has launched its own campaign first about the arrest of Deniz Zarakolu (publisher Zarakolu's son) and now for Professor Büþra Ersanlý and Ragip Zarakolu.
Ragip Zarakolu, a member of PEN Turkey and honorary member of Swedish PEN Centre, is a well known political activist who has been fighting for freedom of expression in Turkey for over 30 years, publishing books on issues such as minority and human rights. As one of the 50 writers chosen to represent the struggle for freedom of expression since 1960 for the Writers in Prison Committee's 50th Anniversary Campaign – Because Writers Speak Their Minds – Ragip Zarakolu's case is "emblematic of the ongoing struggles many writers, publishers and freedom of expression and human rights activists in Turkey continue to face", write Ola Larsmo (Swedish PEN), Eugene Schoulgin (PEN International) and Mats Söderlund (Swedish Writers Association).
The writers "condemn the arrest of writer and academic Professor Büþra Ersanlý, Deniz Zarakolu, and Ragip Zarakolu on charges that appear to be related to his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression".
They call "for a full, impartial investigation into the arrests of other academics arrested under anti-terror legislation, including Aziz Tunç, Ayes Berktay and A. Dursun Yildiz".
And they also call on "the Turkish authorities to live up to their commitments to protect freedom of expression under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights".
Both the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) and Amnesty International have previously criticized both the high levels of isolation suffered in F-type prisons and reports that individuals in these institutions have been subject to harsh and arbitrary disciplinary punishments.
Ragip’s son Deniz Zarakolu has also reportedly been moved to Edirne Prison in northwest Turkey.
PEN International is organizing a letters campaign to Turkish minister of justice, Sadullah Ergin.
The Swedish PEN has launched its own campaign first about the arrest of Deniz Zarakolu (publisher Zarakolu's son) and now for Professor Büþra Ersanlý and Ragip Zarakolu.
Ragip Zarakolu, a member of PEN Turkey and honorary member of Swedish PEN Centre, is a well known political activist who has been fighting for freedom of expression in Turkey for over 30 years, publishing books on issues such as minority and human rights. As one of the 50 writers chosen to represent the struggle for freedom of expression since 1960 for the Writers in Prison Committee's 50th Anniversary Campaign – Because Writers Speak Their Minds – Ragip Zarakolu's case is "emblematic of the ongoing struggles many writers, publishers and freedom of expression and human rights activists in Turkey continue to face", write Ola Larsmo (Swedish PEN), Eugene Schoulgin (PEN International) and Mats Söderlund (Swedish Writers Association).
The writers "condemn the arrest of writer and academic Professor Büþra Ersanlý, Deniz Zarakolu, and Ragip Zarakolu on charges that appear to be related to his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression".
They call "for a full, impartial investigation into the arrests of other academics arrested under anti-terror legislation, including Aziz Tunç, Ayes Berktay and A. Dursun Yildiz".
And they also call on "the Turkish authorities to live up to their commitments to protect freedom of expression under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights".
