PEN Norway interview with Prof Dr Şebnem Korur Fincancı
“We cannot speak of a substantial recognition of the importance of freedom of expression on the part of the government or in terms of political will. They are not showing respect for freedom of expression, unfortunately.”
Prof Dr Şebnem Korur Fincancı who was formally arrested yesterday (27.10.2022) on charges of ‘disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organisation’ under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law No. 3713 has been the subject of a protracted case in relation to her guest editorship of the now shuttered Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem.
On July 17, 2019 Fincancı and her co-defendants Erol Önderoğlu and Ahmet Aziz Nesin were acquitted of all charges. However, at appeal the case was referred for retrial and this judicial harrassment continues.
PEN Norway’s Turkey Adviser, Caroline Stockford was in Istanbul to monitor the hearing and later that day conducted the following interview with Fincancı at the headquarters of the Human Rights Association of Turkey.
Read our interview here:
