UPDATE: In September 2018, Tunç was found guilty of the charge of “spreading terrorist propaganda” and sentenced to 1 year, 11 months, and 12 days in prison. He continues to face the two additional charges against him: “insulting the President” and “publicly inciting hatred and hostility.”

Ferhat Tunç is a Turkish musician currently indicted on three separate charges surrounding his use of social media to express a dissenting political opinion. Tunç’s 30-year career in Turkey and abroad has been colored by countless investigations and legal battles over both his music and his outspoken public persona, especially since a failed 2016 coup attempt led to severe restrictions on free speech and artistic expression in Turkey.

In November 2017, Tunç was accused of spreading “propaganda for a terrorist organization” on his Twitter account in December 2016. The court date was originally set for early 2018, but was adjourned to March 23, 2018. For this charge, Tunç faces up to 6 years in prison.

In the same month, President Erdoğan himself brought a case against Tunç, claiming that other posts dating from 2016 were insulting to him. The charge of “insulting the President” carries a maximum sentence of 5 years, and Tunç was scheduled to go to trial on February 23, 2018. Details about the result of that hearing have yet to be published.

Most recently, in January 2018 Tunç was served a third indictment for “publicly inciting hatred and hostility”. These charges cited specific tweets from April 2017 in which Tunç used the popular hashtag #HayırSusmuyoruz (#WeAreNotSilent). This charge could land Tunç in prison for up to three years and one month, with a hearing scheduled for April 18, 2018.

These three indictments illuminate the culture of repression that has swept Turkey in recent years, and directly violate Tunç’s rights to freedom of expression, both as an artist and as a citizen. The charges against Ferhat Tunç must be dropped immediately.

TAKE ACTION