De tyrkiske myndigheder påtænker at løslade en række fanger fra fængslerne; gravide, ældre og syge samt en række kriminelle fanger.
Det er naturligvis fornuftigt, da fængslernes sanitære forhold er elendige, cellerne er overbelagte og adgangen til medicin og lægehjælp er stærkt begrænset. Risikoen for smitte med coronavirus er alarmerende høj.
Desværre er journalister, forfattere og menneskerettighedsforkæmpere, der er sigtet efter den tyrkiske terrorlovgivning, ikke omfattet.
I en fælles erklæring til de tyrkiske myndigheder skriver Dansk PEN, sammen med 26 andre internationale ytringsfriheds- og menneskerettighedsorganisationer:
“We, the undersigned, call on the government and Parliament to respect the principle of non-discrimination in the measures taken to lessen the grave health risk in prisons. The effect of the draft law is to exclude certain prisoners from release on the basis of their political views. Thousands of people are behind bars for simply exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Now they are also faced with an unprecedented risk to their health. According to its commitments under international human rights law, Turkey is under a clear obligation to take necessary measures to ensure the right to health of all prisoners without discrimination.
We invite Turkish authorities to use this opportunity to immediately release unjustly imprisoned people, and give urgent consideration to the release of those who have not been convicted of any offence and those who are at particular risk in prison from a rapidly spreading disease in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions where their health cannot be guaranteed.”
Læs hele opråbet her:
Turkey_Urgently release imprisoned journalists and writers now at risk