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Academics from Boğaziçi University, who have been charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for signing the declaration "We will not be a party to this crime" prepared by the Academics for Peace, have their first hearings today (March 28) in İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse.
Before the hearing, a group of academics and students of Boğaziçi University gathered in front of the courthouse and gave a statement for press in support of the academics:
"On this day, when our colleague Prof. Onur Hamzaoğlu has been under arrest for 47 days and Serdar Başçetin for 43 days, we, the Academics for Peace are here once again to defend peace, freedom of expression and academia. Between the days of March 22 and 26, 11 students of Boğaziçi University were taken into custody. On March 22, 7 students of Boğaziçi University who were detained and released were subjected to battery and harassment while in custody.
"Since December 5, 2017, the Academics for Peace have been frequenting the justice. In 262 lawsuits that have been filed, our 173 colleagues have had their first hearings, 24 of them have had their second hearings and a verdict has been given in three lawsuits".
"Freedom of expression is a constitutional right"
"Today, together with our friends who are here again to support us and stand in solidarity with us, we will follow the first hearings of two academics from Boğaziçi University held at 14th Heavy Penal Court.
"Freedom of expression is a constitutional right, demanding peace is not and cannot be a crime. Right to education is guaranteed by the Constitution, it cannot be violated!
"Our teachers, Onur Hamzaoğlu and Serdar Başçetin, who are under arrest, and our 11 students who are held in custody have to be immediately released".
İldeş: A rush of detentions has been started at Boğaziçi
After the statement was read out, Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Branch No.4 Chair, İzzet İldeş said,
"A special project is being implemented at Boğaziçi at the moment. A rush has been started for the detention of students and academics. Boğaziçi is one of the most deep-rooted universities of Turkey. Students enter this university after they manage to be among the most successful 1 percent. They know what to defend very well, too. Defending peace should never be a crime." (EÜ/HK/SD)