Hunger Strikes Monitoring Committee Makes a Call to Authorities and Public

* Photo: Human Rights Association (İHD)

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Consisting of İstanbul Medical Chamber, Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) İstanbul Office and Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK) Health and Social Service Laborers Union (SES) İstanbul Branches, the Hunger Strikes Monitoring Committee made a statement for the press regarding the ongoing hunger strikes in an outside prisons yesterday (April 20).

Held in the İHD İstanbul Branch, the statement was attended by Murat Ekmez from İstanbul Medical Chamber, Erdal Güzel from the SES Unions, Ümit Efe from the TİHV and Gülseren Yoleri from the İHD İstanbul Branch.

The statement has indicated that while death fasting Grup Yorum member Helin Bölek lost her life, the hunger strikes of Mustafa Koçak, Grup Yorum member İbrahim Gökçek and Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal for their right to a fair trial still continue:

"As of today (April 20), İbrahim Gökçek has been continuing his protest for 308 days, Mustafa Koçak for 293 days, Ebru Timtik for 109 days and Aytaç Ünsal for 78 days, they are risking death at any moment.

"The responsibility for the people who are forced to give their own lives by going on a hunger strike to ensure that their basic rights including their right to a fair trial and prevention of illegal pressure and bans are safeguarded and to make music freely lies with the ones who rule the country."

'We don't want them to die'

Reading out the statement for the press on behalf of the Committee, Gülseren Yoleri from the İHD has reminded the authorities of their responsibilities and called on the public to be sensitive:

"We know that the right to life is the most fundamental right that needs to be safeguarded and the state has positive and negative obligations to safeguard the right to life; human rights are indispensable for not only staying alive but also for the respectability of life and human dignity and a human is a human only with his or her rights; the state has responsibility in ensuring that these rights and freedoms can be used and we have the right to resist oppression when the state fails to fulfil this responsibility.

"For these reasons, we hold the ones ruling the country responsible for the death of Helin and we do not want İbrahim, Mustafa, Ebru and Aytaç to die. We once again remind the ones ruling the country of their responsibilities.

"As required by the responsibility arising from our right to resist oppression in the name of defending human rights including the right to life and protecting human dignity and respectability, we are calling for social sensitivity." (AS/SD)