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by
Robert
Russell
The World's Only Editorial
Cartoonists Presently In Jail:
DOGAN
GUZEL. Go to IFEX web site: www.ifex.org,
look up "Turkey in the archives and find postings on Guzel.
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Cartoonists in trouble:
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Arrested in June of 1998, Guzel was charged
with "insulting the state. Because he is an ethnic Kurd,
working for a paper that reputedly advocated Kurdish separation
from Turkey, Guzel was changed under Turkey's draconian anti-terrorist
laws, not press regulation laws. As a result of his close association
with a newspaper that reputedly advocates violent separation
from their recognized government, Amnesty International has decided
"very reluctantly not to advocate for Dogan Guzel. While
Guzel has never, never advocated illegal or violent actions,
apparently his paper has. In four successive cartoons, his character
"Qirix" mentioned the words "lax" or "weak"
when referring to the Turkish government. This got him 16 months
imprisonment.
Kal Kalugher, and Mike Mikula accompanied
the Cartoonists Relief Network staff on a diplomatic representation
at the Turkish Embassy in Washington on behalf of Dogan Guzel.
While these diplomatic representations are not always very successful,
diplomatic representations are an important part of a wider strategy
of intervention and advocacy. Cartoonists Relief Network is in
discussions with other professional associations around the world
asking them to make their own representations to their Turkish
Embassy as well. We contacted the Council of Europe, to whom
Turkey is accredited, for clarification about Guzel's case and
found that no one has asked them to intervene. As they have a
six month rule about case submissions, it may be too late already
to have Guzel's lawyer file. Meanwhile, we are continuing to
try to make contact with Guzel,s legal team in Turkey for advice
on other strategies. As Guzel is a Kurd, few if any human rights
agencies inside of Turkey will touch his case. I know that the
Turkish Press Council and the Turkish association of editorial
cartoonists seem disinterested.
This is a tough case. Arrested under
anti terrorism laws, few in Turkey want to get involved. His
own family seems reluctant to correspond.
One strategy that might be of help
in his case is international exposure of Guzel as the world's
only editorial cartoonist presently in jail. The successive Governments
of Turkey are interested in joining the European Union and the
EEC. The biggest hindrance historically has been Turkey's human
rights record.
Individual editorial cartoonists and
editorial cartooning societies are asked and enjoined by the
Cartoonists Relief Network to write to the Turkish Embassy near
them, and make expressions of interest and protest to the Ambassadors
on Dogan Guzel's behalf. A delegation of the cartooning professional
societies would be most effective if done on a global scale.
If any representative or officers of
editorial cartoonists professional societies read this brief,
please call or email the Cartoonists Relief Network Director,
Robert Russell for a briefing packet on Dogan Guzel and for some
encouragement in getting the professional society involved in
human rights advocacy. Guzel's cartoon character is "Qirix",
a soft spoken, kind of lazy, unemployed but always optimistic
Kurdish youth. He is "out of character being in jail."
Source
Agencies:
Committee to Protect Journalists
Reporters sans Frontieres
International Federation of Journalists
International Freedom of Expression Clearing House
Human Rights Watch
Amnesty International
World Association of Newspapers
The NEWSEUM
And other human rights organizations that cannot now be mentioned.
Your suggestions
and comments are appreciated. E-mail Robert Russell
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