Turkey has requested Georgia to extradite Mustafa Cabuk alleging that he faces “terrorism” charges due to his alleged involvement with the Gulen movement. Georgia has denied refugee status to Cabuk and his family. CCS has written the Prime Minister of Georgia requesting a review and reconsideration for the Cabuk family as their well-being will most likely be in jeopardy if sent to Turkey.
July 20, 2017
Giorgi Kvirikashvili
Prime Minister
7 Ingorokva St.
Tbilisi, 0114 Georgia
Phone: +995 32 299 0900
Online form: gov.ge/index.php? lang_id=ENG&sec_id=378
Twitter: @KvirikashviliGi
FB: KvirikashviliOfficial
Dear Prime Minister:
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.
We write to express our concern for Mustafa Çabuk, a manager and teacher at Demirel College in Tbilisi who has lived in Georgia since 2002 but now faces extradition to Turkey, where he would be at high risk of ill-treatment, or other human rights abuses.
Mustafa Çabuk faces “terrorism” related charges in Turkey, due to an alleged connection to the Gülen movement involving facilitating the selling of some shares in Demirel College a U.S. based educational institution called Metropolitan Education and Consulting Services.
We are dismayed that your government on July 7 reportedly denied refugee status for Mustafa Çabuk and his family, and we urge you to fulfill your obligations under both international and Georgian law to never return anyone to a country where they are likely to be subjected to violations of their human rights.
We are also concerned about reports that Mustafa Çabuk and his family, including his wife Tubba Çabuk, have received death threats, and we urge you to ensure that they are protected.
Thank you for your attention to this most matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
cc.:
Minister of Justice
Tea Tsulukiani
24a Gorgasali St.
Tbilisi
Georgia
Phone: + 995 32 240 5505
Email: info@justice.gov.ge
Twitter: @Justice_geo
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
David Bakradze
Embassy of Georgia to the United States of America
1824 R Street, NW
Washington DC, 20009
202-387-2390
E-mail: embgeo.usa@mfa.gov.ge
