HDP MP Gergerlioğlu receives Freedom of Expression Award

* Photo: From Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu

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With the theme of "Urgent Action for Human Rights, Justice and Libertarian Democracy", this year's 19th Ayşenur Zarakolu Freedom of Thought and Expression Award was granted to Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, who was stripped of his MP status and arrested, and to Boğaziçi University constituencies, who have been protesting the Erdoğan-appointed rectors.

As he was arrested at the time, Gergerlioğlu could not attend the award-giving ceremony at the İstanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) on June 12, 2021. His award was presented to Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Musa Piroğlu and the message of Gergerlioğlu, the then dismissed Kocaeli MP of the HDP, was read out at the event.

Gergerlioğlu received his award from İHD Co-Chair Eren Keskin at an award-giving ceremony held in Siirt province yesterday (September 12).

Speaking at the ceremony, Gergerlioğlu said that the award presented by the İHD İstanbul Branch is very valuable for him:

"It is a great honor for me to receive this award. It is all the greater an honor to receive this award from such an association which has worked in the field of human rights, made great efforts and paid great prices."

What happened?

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was sentenced to 2 years, 6 months in prison on the charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" on February 21, 2018, because of a social media post from the year 2016. The conviction was upheld by the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation on February 19, 2021.

Speaking shortly after this ruling was handed down, Gergerlioğlu said that the verdict was "political", adding, "Strip searches, abductions, tortures... Some people got disturbed by us talking about all these."

He also made an application to the Constitutional Court. However, the final ruling of the court was read out at the Plenary Session of the Parliament on March 17, 2021, and he was stripped of his MP duty. He refused to leave the parliament in protest of the decision, starting a "justice watch."

During his protest, he was detained at the parliament as part of a new investigation on March 21 and released on the same day.

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was detained from his house on April 2, 2021; he was arrested and sent to prison shortly afterwards.

The Constitutional Court rejected an application against the revocation of his parliamentary mandate on March 31.

The Constitutional Court examined the individual application of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) dismissed Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, who was stripped of his MP status and arrested afterwards.

Giving its ruling, the Constitutional Court has concluded that Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's "right to be elected and to engage in political activities" and "the right to personal liberty and security" have been violated.

Gergerlioğlu was released from the Sincan Prison in Ankara on July 6 and reinstated as an MP on July 16, 2021.

About Ayşenur Zarakolu Awards

After human rights defender and publisher Ayşenur Zarakolu lost her life in 2002, the İHD İstanbul Branch has been granting Ayşenur Zarakolu Freedom of Thought and Expression Award since 2003 to people and organizations who face oppression in terms of human rights, democracy and peace in general, in freedom of thought and expression in particular and do not keep silent and continue to give people hope despite these oppressions.

Previous laureates of the award were as follows:

Ayşe Çelik (in the name of everyone who says, "Don't let children die, don't let mothers cry"), Selahattin Demirtaş (in the name of all arrested MPs and elected), Onur Hamzaoğlu (in the name of physicians arrested and oppressed for demanding peace), Murat Sabuncu (in the name of oppressed journalists), Sezin Uçar (in the name of arrested lawyers), Boğaziçi University students (in the name of all arrested students), Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper (in the name of closed newspaper and media organizations), Hasan Ceylan (in the name of all arrested and oppressed human rights defenders).

The 17th Ayşenur Zarakolu Freedom of Thought and Expression Awards were granted in a "Respect to Human Rights and Return to Law"-themed ceremony organized by the Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch at Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in Şişli on May 9, 2019. Last year's awards were granted togranted to Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Chair and forensic science expert Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı, journalist and writer Ayşe Düzkan and rights defender and businessperson Osman Kavala.

(AS/SD)