Mr. Jan Hamáček

Minister of the Interior of Czech Republic
Ministry of the Interior
Nad Štolou 3
170 34 Prague 7

Prague 01.03.2019

Dear Minister,

I am writing to you regarding the Kurdish doctor, translator and a man fighting for human rights for all of his life – both in the Czech Republic and other places in the world, Dr Yekta Uzunoglu. 

As you know, in the past Dr Yekta Uzunoglu became a victim of police-justice plot, and because of that he spent some time in jail, longer than it is permitted by the Constitution, in inhuman conditions. It took 13 years before he was able to clean his name, he won in the trial where a legal action was taken against him. He got the highest compensation ever in the history of the Czech justice. 

I have known Dr Yekta Uzunoglu and his activities on behalf of the Kurdish nation for many years but I also know the history of his persecution in the Czech Republic! 
 
It is well known that Dr Yekta Uzunoglu, like thousands of democrats living in Turkey and fighting for democratic society is a thorn in the eye of the contemporary Turkey. It is no secret and it cannot be…

During the past three years Turkey has imprisoned many German and French journalists, and even an American priest, even if it was a violation of the international laws. Even the US President Donald Trump had to get engaged in public before he was able to get the American citizen out of the Turkish prison. 

It is also generally known that Turkey keeps misusing the Interpol to pursue journalists and writers who criticize Turkey, even at the time when they are in foreign countries. The last case was when Turkey let a German writer arrested when he was on holiday in Spain. He was not released until Germany’s intervention. 

Recently I was informed that Turkish authorities issued an arrest warning on Dr. Yekta Uzunoglu, for three reasons (as the file material says), i.e.:

1 He posted some photographs taken during our common visit to Syria on his Facebook

2 His visit to Iraq together with the journalist of Ministry of Defense of the CR

3 Cartoons regarding the murder of the President of the Bar Association of his native town. 
 

On the first subject I inform you:

that I asked Mr. Uzunoglu, as a Member of the European Parliament and vice president of the defense committee of the European Parliament, to accompany me on my journey to Syria, to the front line of the fight against the ISIS. Mr. Uzunoglu agreed and he overcame all of the obstacles preventing us from visiting Syria where I wanted to see the situation in person. Mr. Uzunoglu translated for me all the time; he explained and organized things so that I could get as much information as possible. 

After we came back, I naturally published some photographs from that journey on my Facebook and so did Mr. Uzunoglu, I also gave information to the plenary of the European Parliament, all of the MP’s present, but also the heads of the EP.

I financed the whole journey; I took care also of the costs for Mr. Uzunoglu! 

We never met any terrorists; it is absurd and crazy to blame Mr. Uzunoglu for any help to the terrorists during that journey or any other time, as he is blamed by the Turkish authorities.  

 
Dear Minister,

There is a strong probability that Turkish authorities will try to misuse the Interpol also in the case of Mr. Uzunoglu, and will ask to get him arrested by the Czech Police, as they did last year in case of another Kurdish politician, Mr. Salih Muslim, the act nearly deprived the Czech Republic of its reputation in the world.  

That is why I ask and beg you, as a prevention, not to allow that the Czech Republic breaks international obligations in case of Dr Yekta Uzunoglu. It would be not only a violation of an international treaty but it would mean the loss of reputation of the CR as Mr. Uzunoglu is a citizen of the German Republic! He got the citizenship while he was in jail in Ruzyně in 1996 after being unlawfully arrested, as even the court of the CR stated. 
 

I expect that you will be able to take all of the necessary measures so that not only the laws but also the human ethics are respected in this case of Dr Yekta Uzunoglu. 

 Jaromír Štětina

Member of the European Parliament