'In this case, freedom will be won in political arena, not in courtrooms'

Valérie Manteau, Françoise Cotta, and Ian Dufour are rights defenders who came from France to be in solidarity with Pınar Selek in the hearing of the case in which she was acquitted four times but facing trial for the fifth time.

In yesterday evening's solidarity gathering before today's hearing, they have also commented on the Court of Cassation's Gezi verdict to bianet, stating that it is evidence of the collapse of the rule of law in Turkey.

"We stand with Pınar Selek's acquittal. This acquittal is for all of us," reads a banner in the meeting hall.

Among those present are academics, lawyers, unionists, and human rights advocates from France. Also in attendance are members of the We Are Still Witness (Hala Tanığız) Platform from Turkey, including Karin Karakaşlı, Yasemin Öz, Güliz Sağlam, politician Ercüment Akdeniz, former MP from İHD Oya Ersoy, academic and former MP Binnaz Toprak, feminist activists, human rights defenders, and journalists.

The focus of the meeting is the demand for justice for sociologist and academic Pınar Selek, who will once again stand trial in Istanbul 15th Heavy Penal Court today within the scope of the Egyptian Bazaar case.

We are at Taksim Hill hotel.

First, writer Karin Karakaşlı highlights the violations of rights endured by Selek and demands an acquittal in the case as soon as possible.

Yasemin Öz, one of Selek's lawyers, reminds that there has been a chain of violations in the 25-year-long case and says that injustice has been imposed on the entire society along with Pınar Selek.

As the meeting continues, news arrives: "The Court of Cassation has upheld the life imprisonment for Osman Kavala and 18 years of heavy imprisonment for Atalay, Mater, Kahraman, and Özerden in the case on the Gezi park protests."

The initial cheerfulness of everyone at the beginning of the meeting fades, and the Court of Cassation's decisions on Gezi join alongside the discussions about Selek's case.

"A Scandalous Decision"

Speaking to bianet, author Valérie Manteau from France, who also worked on freedom of thought in her latest novel and follows Turkey in this context, says: "This case is a scandalous decision. This decision cannot be considered separately from other cases. Osman Kavala is a well-known figure in France. He supports cultural projects. He brings people from different cultures together. I know the value of his cultural work. I also went to Açık Radyo (Open Radio). The decision is not only sad for Turkey but also for all of us."

"There is a connection between these cases" 

Françoise Cotta, a lawyer from the Lawyers Without Borders organization who "defends the defenders", also believes that the Court of Cassation's Gezi decision is not based on law: "We are dealing with a political trial. This trial will be won in the political arena, not in the courtrooms. That's why it's not possible to defend Pınar Selek solely based on her works. It's necessary to explain that all these cases are interconnected. International organizations need to exert pressure, and every segment of society should react to such decisions."

"Evidence of Collapse of Rule of Law in Turkey" 

Ian Dufour, a representative of a workers' confederation in France, is also critical of the decision: "The case is evidence of the collapse of the rule of law in Turkey. Preventing the right to demonstrate is the biggest obstacle in front of the opposition. Just like in the Selek case, we will continue to stand by everyone wrongly convicted."

The new hearing of the Egyptian Bazaar case, in which sociologist Pınar Selek is being tried, will be held today at Istanbul 15th Heavy Penal Court.

The solidarity delegation from France, lawyers, and human rights organizations are following the case closely. (EMK/PE)