3 Academics Arrested

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Three academics Associate Prof. Kıvanç Ersoy (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Univ., mathematics), Assistant Prof. Esra Mungan (Boğaziçi Univ., psychology) and Dr. Muzaffer Kaya (fired as a consequence of the academics' statement from Nişantaşı University, history) reading the statement on behalf of Academics for Peace/İstanbul group reiterating their peace demand and detained afterwards, have been arrested by court on duty.

The academics were arrested on charge of “propagandizing for terror organization”. One of academics’ lawyers Meriç Eyüboğlu said “We once again have seen that there is no law anymore”, and stated that they will object the ruling.

“They are not alone” slogans in front of the courthouse

Adliye.önünde akademisyenler yalnız değildir sloganları pic.twitter.com/llwqZzHXBr

— Beyza Kural (@b__yaz) 15 Mart 2016

Students and their colleagues rallied in front of the courthouse after the decision was made.

As protesting the decision with clapping, they chanted the slogan “Esra Mungan, Kıvanç Ersoy, and Muzaffer Kaya are not alone”.

Lawyer: The decision is a political one

Eyüboğlu briefly spoke as follows:

“We did everything we could to legally affect the process. Our clients testified, we submitted exemplary decisions, discussed legal justifications but really we once again saw that there is no law any more.

“[Decision] in question is a political decision. Detention warrant was political too. The clients went to the security [directorate] on their own will. There was no need to take action on them. Their addresses, workplaces are known and they are in position to be reached anytime. Warrant was issued despite all these. Afterwards, arrest decision was issued with no legal basis.

“Of course we will object, follow legal procedure but we express one more time that as we stated above there is no legal basis of this ruling”.

Lawyer: We couldn’t learn what charges were pressed

Lawyer Eyüboğlu explained journalists the process as of detention warrant for academics. Eyüboğlu stated that they as lawyers and clients couldn’t learn at any stage what the accusations were.

“Questions such as ‘Is PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) a terror organization’, ‘Do you think state has massacred’ posed to academics as to the declaration entitled ‘We will not be a party to this crime’ in prosecution who didn’t testify at security directorate. Questions were about the declaration, not March 10 statement”.

Eyüboğlu noting that warrant was issued based the press statement on March 10, however that wasn’t asked at any stage, expressed that they couldn’t learn what charges were pressed against the clients.

What had happened?

Warrant has been issued for four academics who held contact meeting on March 10 as to incidents taking place since they released the declaration entitled “We will not be a party to this crime”.

The academics Esra Mungan, Kıvanç Ersoy, Muzaffer Kaya and Meral Camcı stating in their declaration that actions are being taken for investigations without determining on which bases the charges are leaned upon, had said they were insistent on their peace demand.

The academics whose houses were visited by police officers yesterday (march 14) at around 9:30 a.m. couldn’t be seized as they were absent. The academics except Meral Camcı who is abroad went to İstanbul Security Directorate on Vatan street with their lawyers.

The academics being indicted for “promoting terror organization, acting upon instructions of the organization” were taken to the courthouse at 11 a.m. (BK/TK)