MEDEL in support of Murat

ARRESTED ON OCTOBER 19, 2016

2985

DAYS OF DETENTION

« If there is someone somewhere fighting for rights and freedoms, and taking the plunge, this means there is always some hope for the future » – MURAT ARSLAN (Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2017 winner).

We received with great sorrow the news of the decision to deny conditional release to Murat Arslan. After a first refusal to release him last year, despite the fact that all objective requirements for parole were met (Murat has served 3/4 of his sentence as of 16 April 2024), and that Murat’s “good behavior” was recognized, the final decision was once again a refusal based on very arbitrary grounds, such as alleged insufficient efforts to reintegrate into society and unproven risks of recidivism, as you can read in the report prepared by our Turkish colleagues[1]. Once again, we would like to express to Murat our solidarity, sympathy and support.

Throughout these years, Murat’s strength and courage have shown us how all individuals who believe in the values of justice and rule of law remain free – in spirit and in mind – even when they are arbitrarily confined behind prison walls.

MEDEL will always be grateful to Murat for this and for uniting, in these difficult years, the entire European community of judges and prosecutors, and their associations, around the defense of the values of justice and rule of law.

We will continue to stand by Murat, waiting for the day when our beloved friend will be with us again.

We will never stop demanding that Murat and all those who are unjustly detained get their freedom back. We will continue to show everywhere the example of Murat’s courageous fight for rights and freedoms.

On April 30, MEDEL, together with the associations of the Platform for an Independent judiciary in Turkey- AEAJ, EAJ and Judges for Judges- sent to the European institutions, and the Turkish Minister of Justice, letters demanding all the necessary steps in order to ensure that the situation of Murat and all unjustly detained persons is re-assessed.

https://medelnet.eu/medel-eaj-aeaj-and-judges-for-judges-in-support-of-murat-arslan/

https://medelnet.eu/letter-to-the-turkish-minister-of-justice-medel-eaj-aeaj-and-judges-for-judges-in-support-of-murat-arslan/

We want as well to send Murat a concrete sign of our support and solidarity: we therefore invite all European judges and prosecutors to send him a written message by letter or postcard addressed to Sincan prison

MURAT ARSLAN SİNCAN CEZA İNFAZ KURUMLARI KAMPÜSÜ SİNCAN T TİPİ KAPALI CEZA İNFAZ KURUMU B8- KOĞUŞ (Baba adı:Mehmet) 06946 YENİKENT / SİNCAN /ANKARA /TÜRKİYE

You can download here a few templates of letters already translated in Turkish, for those who wish to use them[2].

If you wish instead to write a different text, do not forget to send it in advance for translation to the address medeltranslate@gmail.com (without the Turkish version, the letter will not be delivered). MEDEL will then collect the letters and publish them.

We are on the eve of important events for the future of Europe. We want to reaffirm our commitment to rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, calling for the restoration of justice in Turkey. For Murat and for all those unjustly imprisoned.

Let us once again recall Murat’s words of hope in his speech of acceptance of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize:

« We did not leave our country’s falling judiciary to its fate. We left salvation markers to every corner for comeback. Today we are having exiles and detentions, but this will not change the reality. The price that we are paying just increases our faith that in the coming days rule of law and democracy will be internalized, as well as our fighting spirit ».

[1] Conditional release report

[2] Sample letters to Murat Arslan