Free Sedat Laçiner
UPDATE: Sedat Laçiner was sentenced on September 25, 2018 to 9 years, 4 months in prison for his alleged links to the Gulen movement, after the case’s prosecutor sought life imprisonment for the renowned academic. The new sentence comes on top of the 27 months Laçiner has already spent in pre-trial detention.
Sedat Laçiner is an author, academic and columnist with particular focus on Turkish foreign policy and the Middle East. He is one of many journalists, academics and artists who have been imprisoned in Turkey following the crackdown on media and free expression which occurred after the failed coup attempt of July 2016.
Laçiner received his master’s degree from Sheffield University (UK) and his doctorate from King’s College London. He is the author of 26 books and numerous scientific articles on international security and the fight against terrorism in Turkey. He has written for Daily Star newspaper (Istanbul), and Internethaber and Haberdar Journals. In 2006, he was included on the list of Young Global Leaders in the branch of Intellectuals by the World Forum in Davos. From 2004 to 2009, he was an advisor to the Minister of the Interior, and between 2010 and 2011 he advised the President of the Council of Higher Education.
Arrested: July 20, 2016
Officially Charged: No
Access to Lawyer: No
Trial Date Set: No
In January of 2017 we received this letter:
From: Sedat Laçiner
Date: Mon, Jan 2, 2017 at 3:35 PM
Subject: letter from Turkish prison
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I’m one of the jailed academics and writers in Turkey. I’ve been in a Turkish prison (Canakkale) for more than 5 months without an indictment. More than 40 thousands of people, including academics, judges, lawyers, journalists, teachers and the members of Turkish Supreme Court were arrested after the 15 July Coup Attempt. All these jailed people are accused of supporting the coup-attempt. More than 100 thousands of civil servants were fired without any proof and legal process.
The coup attempt has been abused by Erdoğan rule in order to curtail the authoritarian essence.
Similarly I was accused of supporting the coup without any evidence and I was arrested on 20 July 2016 in Canakkale. I cannot reach my lawyer and I have been under dreadful prison conditions.
The Turkish Attorney declared my file “secret” and refuses to give any details of the accusations as it is the case in thousands of files after 15 July 2016.
My only fault is my opinions. I opposed the Syrian and the Kurdish policies of the Erdoğan rule. I’ve also strongly criticized the government’s authoritarian and Islamist policies. Turkey has always been part of Europe and it should be a true member of Europe. I’m afraid the government has making efforts to deviate Turkey’s western direction.
I’ve never been part of any illegal organization or network. I am a professor of International politics and an expert on combatting terrorism. I am author of 26 books and numerous articles. I graduated from Sheffield University (UK) with a MA degree and King’s College London with a PhD degree. I wrote for daily Star (Istanbul), Internethaber and Haberdar news sites.
I have no idea when I could see a judge. My life and my family are under deathly risks and we need your support. Please help us.
Yours,
Prof. Dr. Sedat Laçiner
Canakkale E Type Closed Prison
Canakkale – Turkey
Sedat has not been convicted of a crime, cannot speak to a lawyer, and is being arbitrarily detained. Please help us speak out for his immediate release by sending a letter to the Turkish government below.
