Frige Suzan Zengin!

Vi publicerar nedan ett mycket bra uttalande från en internationell sammanslutning av advokater som kämpar för att försvara folkets rättigheter. Advokaterna tar upp mcket viktiga frågor om hur antalet politiska fångar i världen ökar kraftigt och kräver att den turkiska journalisten Suzan Zengin omedelbart friges, ett krav som vi stödjer helhjärtat.

Statement for the release of Suzan Zengin

6 September 2010

One of the most important issues in international human rights is the issue of unjust imprisonment and political prisoners. In many countries in the world, people are being tried simply because of their thinking, acting, struggling or writing. Many are tortured or undergo bad treatment and violence. Police brutality during raids and arrests are known.

Prison populations are growing in many parts of the world. Updated information on countries included in the previous editions of the World Prison Population List shows that prison populations have risen in 68% of these countries (in 61% of countries in Africa, 68% in the Americas, 87% in Asia, 65% in Europe and 50% in Oceania).

One of these countries is Turkey. In Turkey there are an estimated 8.000 political prisoners. Most of them are pre-trial prisoners and not sentenced yet. Most of the charges are not real, fabricated and part of a conspiracy against the progressive elements of society.

The journalist Suzan Zengin is one example. Her case shows how the government in Turkey tries to hinder and repress people from speaking out the truth. She was arrested on August 29th, 2009 in her home by special police forces in front of her husband and her son. During the raid and her arrest she wasn’t told why she was arrested. The lawyers weren’t allowed to see the indictment case until weeks after her final imprisonment. She is held in the Womans Prison in Bakirkoy/Istanbul until this day. The police is talking about “clear evidences”. Those evidences are: phone calls made for Umut publications (she is working for Umut Publications in the Kartal office), bills of electricity and water, phone bills which are obvious to be expenses of the newspaper office. Besides these there are two newspaper articles that claim that she wrote it and the indictment alleges that the articles include “criminal lyrics and elements”. Until today there hasn’t been any lawsuit against the newspaper for these articles.

Besides this Suzan Zengin is being persecuted to be a member of an illegal organization. This persecution takes place with an indictment that doesn’t include ‘evidences’.

On August 26, 2010 she was brought to the court hearing but the hearing was postponed to February 2011. The health conditions of Suzan Zengin are not very well. She suffers from rapid osteoporoses, an ulcer, and hypertension, high cholesterol that she must take regular and continuous medication for. Some check- ups and tests need to be done periodically.

With such policies they want to silence the progressive mass press and media and other institutions that stand for genuine peace and justice. Suzan Zengin is a prisoner of consciousness and the Turkish State is directly responsible for this illegal act both in national and international law.

The International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) strongly condemn the imprisonment of Suzan Zengin and demand her immediate release and call upon the democratic international public to show its solidarity with her.

International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL)

Oudegracht 36, 3511 AP Utrecht / Netherlands