For the release of Halil Savda

Press release by Conscientious Objection Platform, 15 December 2006

To the press and public opinion,

Halil Savda was arrested two years ago on 26.11.2004 at the Çorlu Military Prosecutor's Office where he declared he would not “serve in the military as it contradicted his conscience and beliefs.” He was released from custody after the trial on 30.12.2004.  

“I believe that the responsibility of war does not only belong to those who wage it, but to everyone who condones it. With my conscientous objection, I would like to show that I do not want to bear this responsibility and that by refusing to be silent about militarism I am refusing to be a part of it,” said Halil in his statement of defense at the trial. And this is exactly what he has been doing since then.

On 23 October 2006, Halil Savda announced the founding of the Conscientous Objection Platform with a press relase, declaring that the objective of the Platform is “the legalization of conscientous objection.”

Halil was arrested again on December 7 by the Çorlu Military Court where he had gone in order to follow up on his pending trial on the “suspicion that he may escape.”

Halil was given two days of solitary confinement -already!- on December 14 because as a conscientous objector he resists all military orders and mandates such as wearing a military uniform, getting his hair cut or shaving. Attorney Kadriye Doğru who visited the prison on the same day was not allowed to meet with Savda with completely arbitrary and illegal justifications.

As the Conscientous Objection Platform, we repeat what we have said last week at Galatasaray Square: “We declare that our actions will continue until Halil Savda is released and the repression of conscientous objectors stops.”

At the trial on December 22, Friday at the Çorlu Military Court, we would like to show Halil Savda that he is not alone. We invite all concerned people to our action on Thursday one day before the trial as well as the trial session on Friday.

The Conscientous Objection Platform