Mamadali Mahmudov
Mahmudov was released in 2013 after serving 14 years in prison on charges of “threats” to the president and the constitutional order. A supporter of the opposition Erk party,… More
Eşber Yağmurdereli
Blind human rights activist Yağmurdereli has spent nearly 20 years in prison on various charges related to comments about Türkiye's human rights abuses. Most recently, he was arrested in… More
Ayşe Nur Zarakolu
Founder of the Freedom to Publish Commission, Zarakolu was a pioneering female figure in Türkiye's literary world. A political essayist herself, she was arrested over 30 times for her… More
Doğan Akhanli
A writer specializing in genocide studies, Akhanli has been arrested and imprisoned several times for his work on the Armenian Genocide. In 1991, he fled Türkiye for Germany where,… More
Rakhim Esenov
In February 2004, Esenov was charged with “inciting social, national, and religious hatred using the mass media” for statements made by characters in his novel, Ventsenosny Skitalets (The Crowned… More
Can Dündar
A former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet, Dündar has been directly targeted by President Erdoğan for his writing. In 2020, Dündar was convicted in absentia to over 27 years in prison… More
Büşra Ersanli
In June 2018, Ersanli was convicted on terrorism charges for her endorsement of a petition, organized by a group called Academics for Peace, criticizing military violence against the Kurds.… More
Mehmet Osman Kavala
A noted philanthropist and publisher focusing on promoting intercultural understanding, Kavala was setting up a cultural center for Syrian refugees when he was detained on terrorism charges in late… More