Conscientious objector prisoned in Turkey

Let us spread the news and call for solidarity!

BDS Turkey, 5 March 2012

Halil Savda, a conscientious objector from Turkey and a columnist of the newspaper Özgür Politika was arrested for disinclining of military last week because he had protested the Israeli occupation in Lebanon and supported the conscientious objectors from Israel. Halil Savda had read a statement for press in front of the Israel Consulate in order to protest the attack in 2006. He was put on trial because he said "Don't do military service" in this statement in order to support conscientious objectors Itzit Shabbat and Amir Paster from Israel. At the end of the trial he was sentenced to 5 months in prison and arrested in a hotel in Doğubeyazıt and put into jail.

Savda, who insists that the army and military are contrary to his conscientious and libertarian beliefs, had been arrested and put into prison many times previously and suffered severe torture both under arrest and in prison.

Savda has sent a message form prison: "I am in prison because I have protested Israeli occupation in Lebanon and supported the conscientious objection of Israeli soldiers. There wasn't anything against Turkey in my statement. Our declaration in front of the Israel Consulate being found guilty is a sign that Prime Minister Erdoğan's rhetorical mobilisation against Israel is not very sincere."  Savda doesn't compromise despite the severe conditions in prison. 

We are calling for solidarity an spreading the news.

With best wishes,

BDS- Turkey

For further information on the case see also the link:

http://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/136484-conscientious-objector-savda-arrested-again

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