Two More Journalists Under Custody Law enforcement officials detained journalists Ibrahim Cicek and Ziya Ulusoy, as well as Ali Hidir Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP,) on terrorism related charges Sunday. Law enforcement officials Sunday detained journalist Ibrahim Cicek in Istanbul, journalist Ziya Ulusoy in the Black […]
Two More Journalists Under Custody
Law enforcement officials detained journalists Ibrahim Cicek and Ziya
Ulusoy, as well as Ali Hidir Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist
Party of the Oppressed (ESP,) on terrorism related charges Sunday.
Law enforcement officials Sunday detained journalist Ibrahim Cicek in
Istanbul, journalist Ziya Ulusoy in the Black Sea province of Samsun and
Ali Hidir Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist Party of the
Oppressed (ESP,) in the Aegan province of Izmir on terrorism related
charges.
Cicek was the Chief Editor of Atilim magazine, an advisor to the ESP’s
chair and an executive board member of the People’s Democratic Congress
(HDK,) while Ulusoy was also an advisor to the ESP’s chair and a member of
the HDK in Parliament’s Constitution Commission.
Authorities had released Cicek, Ulusoy and Polat on May 17, 2011, after
they had remained under arrest for five years.
“[Authorities] keep detaining and arresting journalists, writers, students,
thousands of Kurdish and socialist politicians on baseless charges, such as
making propaganda for a terrorist organization, [or] holding membership in
them and leading them,” Necati Abay said in a written statement he issued
on behalf of the Platform for Solidarity with Arrested Journalists (TGDD.)
We are once more facing up against another vintage case pertaining to the
Anti-Terror Law, he added.
“The Anti-Terror Law and specially authorized courts, [the offspring] of
State Security Courts and the martial law courts [of the Sept.12, 1980
coup], which the [ruling] Justice and Development Party (AKP) clings on to
with its heart and soul, constitute the reason why Turkey leads the world
in the number of arrested journalists,” Abay said.
Not an inch of progress can be made with respect to the freedoms of press,
thought, expression, assembly and association unless the Anti-Terror Law
and specially authorized courts are abolished, according to Abay.
A news story that appeared on the pro-government daily Yeni Safak on Jan.
14, 2012 also depicted Cicek, Ulusoy and Polat as high-ranking leaders of
an outlawed left-wing organization, Abay’s statement said and stressed that
the three detainees were advisors to the ESP’s chairwoman Figen Yuksekdag
and not members of an illegal organization.
The statement concluded with a call for the release of the three detainees
and all persons and institutions that support human rights to back them.
(EKN)
http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/139328-two-more-journalists-under-custody
Two More Journalists Under Custody Law enforcement officials detained journalists Ibrahim Cicek and Ziya Ulusoy, as well as Ali Hidir Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP,) on terrorism related charges Sunday.
Law enforcement officials Sunday detained journalist Ibrahim Cicek in Istanbul, journalist Ziya Ulusoy in the Black Sea province of Samsun and Ali Hidir Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP,) in the Aegan province of Izmir on terrorism related charges.
Cicek was the Chief Editor of Atilim magazine, an advisor to the ESP’s chair and an executive board member of the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK,) while Ulusoy was also an advisor to the ESP’s chair and a member of the HDK in Parliament’s Constitution Commission.
Authorities had released Cicek, Ulusoy and Polat on May 17, 2011, after they had remained under arrest for five years. “[Authorities] keep detaining and arresting journalists, writers, students, thousands of Kurdish and socialist politicians on baseless charges, such as making propaganda for a terrorist organization, [or] holding membership in them and leading them,” Necati Abay said in a written statement he issued on behalf of the Platform for Solidarity with Arrested Journalists (TGDD.)
We are once more facing up against another vintage case pertaining to the Anti-Terror Law, he added. “The Anti-Terror Law and specially authorized courts, [the offspring] of State Security Courts and the martial law courts [of the Sept.12, 1980 coup], which the [ruling] Justice and Development Party (AKP) clings on to with its heart and soul, constitute the reason why Turkey leads the world in the number of arrested journalists,” Abay said.
Not an inch of progress can be made with respect to the freedoms of press, thought, expression, assembly and association unless the Anti-Terror Law and specially authorized courts are abolished, according to Abay.
A news story that appeared on the pro-government daily Yeni Safak on Jan. 14, 2012 also depicted Cicek, Ulusoy and Polat as high-ranking leaders of an outlawed left-wing organization, Abay’s statement said and stressed that the three detainees were advisors to the ESP’s chairwoman Figen Yuksekdag and not members of an illegal organization.
The statement concluded with a call for the release of the three detainees and all persons and institutions that support human rights to back them. (EKN) http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/139328-two-more-journalists-under-custody
