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Calling for peace is still considered a crime in Turkey

Three-and-a-half years have passed since the Academics for Peace (AfP in short: Baris icin Akademisyenler in Turkish) boldly told Turkey’s government “we will not be a party to this crime.”

Two Academics for Peace have had their hearings at two courts. Presenting her statement of defense at the İstanbul 32nd Heavy Penal Court, Hazal Halavut has been asked by the Presiding Judge, “Why didn’t you make a call to the terrorist organization?”

Trial of academics, who have been charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for having signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime" prepared by the Academics for Peace, continued in İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse today (June 19).

Starting with the publication of an ‘Academics for Peace’ petition in January 2016, and further increasing after the attempted coup in July 2016, large numbers of state employees in Turkey have suffered dismissal or other sanctions without due process. Among them are several thousands of academics. Many Turkish universities have actively collaborated in the implementation of these government measures against their employees. Under its Human Rights Policy, Ghent University considers such universities as (co-)perpetrators of serious human rights violations.

Füsun Üstel, respected academic in history, nationalism and issues of identity, is the first of the Academics for Peace to be imprisoned for signing the “We will not be party to this crime!” petition. This ruling will likely influence the pending cases of other  Academics for Peace. Despite the threat of imprisonment, Üstel stood up for her belief that condemning human rights violations or calling for peace is not a crime.