• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: Detained Rapper Accused Of Promoting Drugs (Turkey: UA 107.18)

June 1, 2018

Rapper, Ezhel, was remanded on pre-trial detention on 23 May accused of ‘publicly promoting drug use’ in his lyrics, music videos and social media posts. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment if he is found guilty.

Rapper, Ezhel, was remanded on pre-trial detention on 23 May accused of ‘publicly promoting drug use’ in his lyrics, music videos and social media posts. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment if he is found guilty. 1) TAKE ACTION Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:
  • Ensure that Sercan İpekcioğlu (Ezhel) is released immediately and unconditionally as he has been detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression, and that any ongoing investigations in relation to his legitimate artistic expression and social media posts are closed;
  • Fully respect and protect the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression in Turkey.

Contact these two officials by 13 July, 2018:

Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül Ministry of Justice Adalet Bakanlığı 06659 Ankara Turkey Fax: +90 (0) 312 419 33 70 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @abdulhamitgul Salutation: Dear Minister

Ambassador Serdar Kiliç, Embassy of the Republic of Turkey 2525 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008 Phone: 1 202 612 6700 OR 202 612 6701 Fax: 1 202 612 6744 Email: [email protected] Contact Form: http://washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/Contact Twitter: @SerdarKilic9 Salutation: Dear Ambassador

2) LET US KNOW YOU TOOK ACTION Click here to let us know if you took action on this case! This is Urgent Action 107.18 Here’s why it is so important to report your actions: we record the actions taken on each case—letters, emails, calls and tweets—and use that information in our advocacy. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES