The first four academics who were arrested for signing a “Peace Petition” will attend a court hearing on Friday, April 22 at 2:00 pm. CCS has written the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, John Bass, to request that he send a representative to observe the hearing. It is felt that attendance from the international community is critical to assure that the hearings are fair, legal and that international commitments to Human Rights be upheld.
April 20, 2016
The Honorable John Bass
Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Turkey
Embassy of the United States
110 Ataturk Boulevard
Kavaklidere, 06100
Ankara, TurkeyRe: Attendance at Hearing for Turkish Academics, Scheduled for Friday, April 22nd at 2:00 pm
Dear Ambassador Bass:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is 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.
On January 21 of this year we joined over 30 other scholar-support organizations around the world in writing to express our collective concern at “reports of widespread pressure on members of the Turkish higher education and research community, that included investigations, arrests, interrogations, suspensions and termination of positions, in apparent violation of internationally recognized principles of academic freedom, free expression and freedom of association; principles on which quality higher education and research depend.” It appears that this was precipitated by their signing a petition requesting more humane treatment by the military of the Kurdish citizens.
We now write with great concern because the first four scholars to be detained will now have their first hearing in this matter on Friday. The first hearing for these four individuals, will set the tone for any further upcoming legal actions. Your presence will not only give support for the academics, but will have a positive effect on the fairness of the trial. The hearing will be held Friday, April 22nd in Istanbul, Caglayan Courthouse at 2:00 pm. The Academics for Peace, the name of the petition that was signed by the 1128 academics involved, have requested that the international community be present to observe the hearing. CCS is requesting that you, or a member of your staff, be present for this hearing to assure fairness and that all principles of international and human rights laws be adhered to.
The professors involved in this hearing are:
- Esra Mungan, an assistant professor of psychology at Boğaziçi University
- Muzaffer Kaya, a social studies assistant professor formerly at Nişantaşı University
- Kıvanç Ersoy, a mathematics associate professor at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
- Meral Camcı, a translation studies assistant professor formerly at Yeni Yüzyıl University.
If you have further questions please contact one of us, or our Executive Director, Carol Valoris (information below).
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned ScientistsCopies to:
The Honorable John Kerry
United States Secretary of State
Office of Foreign Missions
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA
OFMInfo@state.govThe Honorable Samantha Power
US Permanent Representative to the United Nations
US Permanent Mission to the United Nations
799 United Nations Plaza
NY, NY 10017 USA
Related articles
- CCS Activities in Turkey (concernedscientists.org)
- [In Depth] Turkish scholar who eluded arrest describes ‘witch hunt’ (science.sciencemag.org)