Release of 30-year prisoner delayed for 6 months 

2024-08-16 10:21:49


	ÊLIH - The release of Nurettin Çelebi, a prisoner in Antalya Type S Closed Prison for 30 years, was postponed for 6 months due to his response to the question “Do you regret it?” 

	Nurettin Çelebi (53), a 30-year prisoner in Antalya Type S Closed Prison, is not being released despite completing his sentence. In 1994, Çelebi was detained as a university student in Mersin and sentenced to life imprisonment by the State Security Court (DGM) for “disrupting the unity and integrity of the state”. Çelebi was imprisoned in Mersin, Konya, Niğde, Mereş, Hatay, Mûş (Muş), Xarpêt (Elazığ), Adana, Karabük and Ankara. Çelebi was supposed to be released from Antalya Type S Closed Prison on May 4, but his release was postponed for 6 months. 

	 

	During this period, Çelebi's case was brought to the Parliament by Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MP Nevroz Uysal Aslan. Uysal stated that Çelebi was prevented from being released due to the opinion of a “special committee” that he was “not in good behavior” and asked, “Who are the ‘special committees’ established in prisons other than the Administrative and Observation Boards?”

	 

	NOT RELEASED DUE TO THE ANSWER HE GAVE 

	 

	Abidin Çelebi (64) stated that he was able to see his brother after 3 months on August 6 and learned the reason for the postponement of his release from him and said: “On May 4, the day of his release, the lawyer met with the prison director. The prison director told the lawyer, 'They will release him today'. However, while we were waiting for his release, the lawyer informed us that the decision was made to continue his detention.” 

	 

	Çelebi stated that his brother was asked the question “Do you regret it?” by the Administration and Observation Board and that his release was prevented after his brother reacted to the question. Çelebi said: “They asked him questions such as ‘Do you regret it?, ’What will you do when you get out, will you go to the mountains? ' He got angry at the question 'Do you regret it?' and replied 'Isn't it shameful to ask me this question?  ' Thereupon, the board decided to postpone the execution for 6 months. My brother reacted by saying 'We invite you to obey your own laws, you are breaking your own law'.”

	 

	'LET THE LAWLESSNESS END' 

	 

	His brother Nurettin Çelebi shared the last conversation he had with his brother and said: “When we went to prison, my brother was consoling us. He was telling us 'don't lose your morale, we will not step back no matter what they do'. Not only my brother but all prisoners in prison are being persecuted. After 30 years, the postponement of execution is unconscionable.  They don't even enforce their own laws. We want this lawlessness to end.”