![]() “The reopening of the investigation, despite the lack of evidence and initial court decision not to prosecute the case, points to the overall climate of repression against writers in Turkey and demonstrates how the legal system enables appalling authoritarian restrictions on free expression and creativity.”Īccording to PEN America, at least 25 writers were jailed last year by the Turkish government, the third-highest number globally. “These baseless accusations have already been dismissed in court,” added Karin Deutsch Karlekar, director of free expression at risk programs at PEN America. “The Turkish authorities have repeatedly used criminal defamation laws to silence those who dare to speak out, and this case is no exception.” “Orhan Pamuk is Turkey’s national treasure, a literary asset whose words reverberate across the globe and should be celebrated as such, yet he finds himself once again targeted for his writings,” said PEN International president Burhan Sönmez. He was backed by free speech organisations around the world, who urged authorities not to prosecute him. On the contrary, the novel was written with respect and admiration for these libertarian and heroic leaders,” he said. “In Nights of Plague, which I worked on for five years, there is no disrespect for the heroic founders of the nation states founded from the ashes of empires or for Atatürk. In a statement to Bianet, Pamuk denied the latest charges. ![]()
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