We welcome the news that Dr. Halil Kemal Gürüz, a chemical engineer, education administrator and former professor and university rector, was allowed to go home pending his appeal from the thirteen years and eleven month sentence imposed on him by a criminal court in Turkey on August 5, 2013.
In a new trial on September 5 on another charge, Dr. Gürüz was placed on probation by an Ankara court pending trial. Although it seems that he is not entirely free from all prosecution, Dr. Guruz is no longer imprisoned, as he had been since June of 2012.
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CCS had been advocating for Dr. Gürüz since his arrest. Recently, the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies called on Turkey to drop all chages against scientists, engineers and doctors accused of terrorism related crimes in Turkey as having no basis. (Another academic accused of terrorism for whom CCS has advocated, Dr. Mehmet Haberal, was released on August 5 as having served his sentence of twelve years and six months during his trial).
Related articles
- Glimmer of Hope After Stunning Verdict in Turkish Trial (news.sciencemag.org)
- 9 Defendants Along With Gürüz Released Pending Trial (bianet.org)
