Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

CCS Requests Dr. Gürüz’ Release from Prison after Suicide Attempt

Photo of Kemal Guruz

Photo of Kemal Gürüz, courtesy of the Gürüz family

Dr. Halil Kemal Gürüz, a prominent chemical engineer, educator and retired professor, has become depressed in prison and has attempted suicide, CCS has learned from Dr. Gürüz’ family. He was arrested  as part the alleged “Ergenekon” conspiracy charges and has been held in prison without bail since 2012.

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Read about CCS’s continuing efforts on behalf of Kamal Gürüz

His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Republic of Turkey

June 18,  2013

Your Excellency:

We are an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world. We write in concern about Dr. Halil Kemal Gürüz.

Dr. Gürüz, a chemical engineer, education administrator, retired professor, and former university rector, has been in prison outside of Ankara since June of 2012, on charges relating to the 1997 alleged conspiracy against Turkey’s government (“Ergenekon”).  We have been concerned about his arrest and his health, as we wrote to you earlier (letter attached) We understand from Dr. Gürüz’ family that his long imprisonment without bail has led him to become deeply depressed, to the point of attempting suicide.

We therefore respectfully urge you to intervene in Dr. Gürüz’s case at once to ensure that he is immediately released on bail on humanitarian grounds so that he can recover at home, as we understand that Dr. Gürüz has not been accused of violence and poses no threat of violence warranting pre-trial detention.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Eugene Chudnovsky
Alexander Greer
Joel Lebowitz
Walter Reich
Paul Plotz

Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

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Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 4525
Easton, PA 18043
Phone: (570) 994-2093
abender@concernedscientists.org