Renowned author and linguist Noam Chomsky has joined The Voice Project’s campaign calling for the release of Sedat Laçiner. Mr. Laçiner is one of many academics, judges, lawyers, journalists and teachers currently imprisoned in Turkey along with musicians and artists such as singer Nûdem Durak, painter Zehra Doğan and singer/actor Atilla Taş. He is currently being held in Canakkale E Type Closed Prison, and has had no trial and no access to legal counsel. “I have no idea when I could see a judge. My life and my family are under deathly risks,” Mr. Laçiner wrote to The Voice Project from prison.
Mr. Laçiner is an author, journalist and scholar with particular focus on Turkish foreign policy and the Middle East. He has a master’s degree from Sheffield University (UK) and a doctorate from King’s College in London, and has authored 26 books and numerous articles on international security and the fight against terrorism in Turkey.
Prof. Chomsky has joined the campaign by sending a letter to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, and Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ encouraging them to abide by the constitution of Turkey and international law. The campaign cites the fact that “the right to freedom of expression is protected in agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Turkey is a party.”
We thank Prof. Chomsky for speaking out. You can join him by sending a letter of your own calling for Sedat’s release. Now more than ever, we need to stand up for each other in the face of rising authoritarian disregard for human rights, no matter the distance, no matter the borders.