RSF: Petition for the release of Erol Önderoglu, RSF’s representative in Turkey

Sign the petition here. 

RSF’s representative in Turkey since 1996, Erol Önderoglu was placed in pre-trial detention by an Istanbul court on June 20, 2016, with two other intellectuals.

Erol Önderoglu, the journalist Ahmet Nesin and the human rights defender Sebnem Korur Fincanci, are charged with “terrorist propaganda” for taking part in a campaign of solidarity with the Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem.

They and dozens of other journalists, intellectuals and human rights defenders have been taking turns to act symbolically as the newspaper’s editor for a day.

Erol Önderoglu is being prosecuted on the basis of three articles published by Özgür Gündem on May 18, 2016 about power struggles within the various Turkish security forces and about the ongoing operations against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels in southeastern Anatolia.

Erol Önderoglu has fought tirelessly to defend persecuted journalists for the past 20 years. He is a leader in this field because of his honesty and integrity, which are recognized all over the world.

Handcuffed and jailed after a closed hearing, Erol Önderoglu is today the victim of the persecutions he always denounced. It’s now our turn to fight for him.

We call on the Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Erol Önderoglu, Ahmet Nesin and Sebnem Korur Fincanci. All charges brought against them and 34 other participants in the solidarity campaign with Özgür Gündem should immediately be dropped.

Sign the petition here. 

This call was originally published by the Reporters Without Borders.