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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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URGENT ALERT: PRISONERS OF FAITH UPDATE – NUREDDIN SIRIN, TURKEY
14th May 2003
PRISONER OF FAITH: Torture of jailed Muslim journalist, Nureddin Sirin, Turkey
Nureddin Sirin, editor of popular Islamic newspaper Selam, was sentenced to seventeen and a half years imprisonment in 1997 for helping to organise a pro-Palestinian Quds (Jerusalem) Day Rally. He was sentenced to a further two years for writing an article from prison regarding the Kurdish situation and the Islamic viewpoint of it. Although he was given an amnesty for his original sentence he is still detained by the Turkish authorities on the basis that he is a member of Lebanese \’Hizbullah\’, despite evidence from Turkish Security Services that confirm he is not.
IHRC has received information that yet again Nureddin Sirin is being tortured by prison authorities. In June 2001, IHRC issued an urgent alert about the ill-treatment of Nureddin Sirin in Bandirma prison and in January 2002, another urgent alert about Nureddin Sirin’s transfer to a high security isolation unit.
IHRC requests campaigners to send letters of support to Nureddin Sirin. His prison address is:
Nureddin Sirin
1 Nolu F Tipi Cezaevi
C13-47
Kandira-Kocaeli,
Turkiye
IHRC also requests campaigners to send letters to the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demanding that:
(a) Nureddin Sirin and all other prisoners of faith are immediately and unconditionally released from imprisonment
(b) Legal proceedings be taken against those responsible for the torture of Nureddin Sirin
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
T.C. Başbakanlık
Basın-Yayın ve Enformasyon Genel Müdürlüğü
Atatürk Bulvarı No : 203
Kavaklıdere / Ankara
Turkiye
Tel: +90 312 455 90 00
Please send emails and letters to the Turkish Ambassador in your country (see link below) demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Nureddin Sirin and the end to torture:
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupg/gg/default.htm
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupg/ge/kon.htm
Please also write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in your country requesting his office’s intercession in this case to demand the release of Nureddin Sirin and other prisoners of faith in Turkey.
UK campaigners should send letters, emails and faxes to:
HE Mr Korkmaz Haktanir
Turkish Embassy
43 Belgrave Square
London SW1X 8PA
turkish.embassy@virgin.net
Fax No: 020 73930066
Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP
Foreign Secretary
FCO
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
email:labourparty@geopoptel.org.uk
Fax No: 020 7270 3539
For more information please contact us
Islamic Human Rights Commission
Tel: +44-20-8902-0888
Fax: +44-20-8902-0889
email: info@ihrc.org
web: www.ihrc.org
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