The trial of writer Perihan Magden began on 7 June, only to be adjourned until 27 July. Magden faces charges of “alienating the people from military service” following an article she wrote as part of her regular column in Aktuel in which she defended imprisoned conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan. She faces three years? imprisonment if convicted. Magden´s trial was reported to have been adjourned to allow the prosecutors to collect further evidence on her case. By Natasha Schmidt
In the December 2005 article, Magden commented that if Turkey is serious about EU membership it should recognise conscientious objection as a human right and provide alternatives to military service, such as community service. Currently, there is no provision for conscientious objection under Turkish law.
The trial is the latest in a list of about 60 writers, publishers, and journalists who have been brought before Turkish courts under Article 301 of the country´s current penal code which registers as an offence “a person who explicitly insults being a Turk, the Republic or Turkish Grand National Assembly?. Recent cases include Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian-Turkish-language weekly Agos and the publishers Ragip Zarakolu and Fatih Tas.
Other trials postponed
Magden’s is not the first trial to be adjourned. On 20 April the trial of publisher Ragip Zarakolu was adjourned until 21 June 2006. Journalist Murat Belge, is due to appear in court on 8 June, after a 11 April court ruling delayed his hearing whilst at the same time dropping charges against four of his colleagues. Belge is charged with attempting to influence the outcome of a trial after publishing articles that criticized a court´s decision to ban a conference about Armenia in November 2005. On 28 April, the prosecutor´s office appealed against the dropped charges originally brought against Belge´s colleagues, and it is thought proceedings against them may resume.
In December 2005, Orhan Pamuk’s 16 December trial was delayed for almost two months. Charges against the country’s most famous writer were later dropped. Although some news reports have linked the dropped charges to expressions of protest from the international community, organizations such as English PEN have been quick to point out that this does not mean Magden or the other writers and publishers awaiting trial will be given the same treatment. PEN is among those human rights organizations who believe that ‘judicial harrassment? is now used to silence criticism of the Turkish state.
Magden’s adjournment comes just days before the EU was expected to publicly criticize Turkey for its record on free speech.
Orhan Pamuk has described Magden as ‘one of the most inventive and outspoken writers of our time?. She is an honorary member of English PEN. In a recent article in the New Statesman, Alev Adil stated that, along with Orhan Pamuk, Magden was ‘among Turkey´s most convincing ambassadors as the country bids to join the EU? because she elucidates “the complex and compelling hybridity of modern Turkey”.
Please write appeals calling for the charges against Perihan Magden to be dropped to:
Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdogan
TC Easbaskanlik
Ankara
Turkey
