Ukrainian soldiers arrested Salih Fidan[1] and Samet Gure[2] while trying to illegally cross the Ukraine-Poland border, which alleged the pair were members of the Gulen Movement.
President Zelensky personally invited people who suffer from political persecution, and he promised asylum and even passports.[3] The act of extraditing is unbelievable and unacceptable. According to the number of applications to The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Turkey is the second country after Russia.
Fidan and Gure asked for asylum through the United Nations officials and interviewed for almost an hour. Ukrainian authorities extradited them despite their asylum application without any court decision. They are at risk of persecution, mistreatment, death, torture, forced disappearance, or long-term imprisonment.
According to Turkey’s Justice Ministry, Turkey requests 807 people from 27 countries. Among those, 116 were transferred to Turkey as of July 2020.[4] In recent years some Turkish teachers have also been extradited by Albania[5], Kosovo[6], and Malaysia[7] to Turkey. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found both parties guilty in those cases. Ukrainian Authorities act is a violation of international law and human rights. Soon such a decision may be taken against Ukraine, but it will not bring the rights of Fidan and Gure back.
European Union and Ukraine agree on respect for shared values and human rights[8]. Such an unfortunate act is against the agreement.
As Broken Chalk, we condemned the deportations of Fidan and Gure.
We request the Ukrainian authorities for an urgent, transparent, and open investigation of Fidan and Gure’s extradition.
We call every one of you to raise your voice for the unlawful act of Ukraine for preventing new cases that may happen in other parts of the World.
Broken Chalk announces it to the public with due respect.
Broken Chalk
07.01.2021
Broken Chalk is a human rights organization and mainly concentrates on violations in the educational field.
[1] Salih Fidan is a Biology teacher and works in an international school in Bagdat in Iraq.
[2] Samet Gure is a Physics teacher and works in an international school in Erbil in Iraq.
[3] https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/15/ukraine-zelensky-facilitates-process-for-politically-persecuted-russians-to-get-passports
[4] https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/15-temmuz-darbe-girisimi/firari-fetoculer-icin-105-ulkeyle-yurutulen-iade-trafigi/1908422
[5] https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25127
[6]https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session88/A_HRC_WGAD_2020_47_Advance_Edited_Version.pdf
[7] https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session81/A_HRC_WGAD_2018_11.pdf
[8] https://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/ukraine/pdf/071215_eu-ukraine_association_agreement.pdf
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