Ali Ercan Gökoğlu, a journalist and writer from Turkey who has been persecuted and tortured for his political activities, came to Greece in 2017 seeking political asylum. In 2019, he was arrested after fake news broke in Turkey and sentenced in absentia to 3 years and 9 months in prison.
After completing the sentence, on October 1, 2024, instead of being released, he was transferred to the detention facilities of the Chania police station with a deportation order. Since October 5, he has been on hunger strike with demands for the repeal of the deportation decision, his immediate release and the granting of political asylum.
Hands off militants – Immediate release of Ali Ercan Gökoğlu
×××
The text of hunger striker Ali Ercan Gökoğlu:
Hunger strike to lift my deportation decision and administrative detention!
I am a journalist and writer. I am editor-in-chief of a weekly political magazine called Bread and Justice in Turkey. I was arrested, tortured and imprisoned for five years at different times in Turkey because I had a publishing policy critical of the fascist state of Turkey and the AKP government.
There are many lawsuits against me in Turkey and more than 20 years in prison because of the articles I wrote. I applied for political asylum in Greece in 2017 because my life was in danger in Turkey because of my political identity and my articles criticizing the government of Tayyip Erdogan.
In 2019, while we were on holiday in Chalkida, Greek police attacked and tortured us after fake news appeared in the press in Turkey. However, a lawsuit was filed against us and we were sentenced IN ABSENTIA to 3 years and 9 months in prison.
On February 6, 2024, I was arrested for this prison sentence. I was imprisoned in the Closed Prison of Chania for 8 months.
On September 23, 2024, I was transferred to Chania Rural Prison and on October 1, 2024, I completed the sentence of 3 years and 9 months by paying the amount for the remainder of my prison sentence.
However, on October 1, 2024, I was brought to the Chania Police Station, at the Aliens Directorate.
The Aliens Department issued a deportation order against me.
In Turkey, my life is in danger because of the prison sentences imposed on me and my political identity as a political journalist and writer.
For this reason, I started an indefinite hunger strike on October 5, 2024, until the following demands are accepted.
The demands of the hunger strike.
1- The deportation order issued by the Chania Police Department against me should be lifted.
2- That the administrative detention be lifted and that I be released.
3- That my request for political asylum be granted and that I be given the right of residence
I continue my profession as a Journalist and Writer in Greece. At the same time, I program on Radio The Voice of the People. I have a fixed address in Athens and a working environment.
For these reasons, I want the deportation warrant to be lifted, for me to be released, for my request for political asylum to be granted and for me to be granted the right to stay.
I am on hunger strike indefinitely until these demands are accepted.
On hunger strike, I will only take water, tea, coffee, lemon juice, salt and vitamin B1. I do not accept any medical intervention in case of deterioration of my health during the hunger strike.
– ABOLISH THE DEPORTATION DECISION-
BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY-
ACCEPT MY REQUEST FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM
16/10/2024 ALI ERCAN GOKOGLU
