İSTANBUL - İbrahim Gökçek, imrpisoned Grup Yorum artist, who has been on death fast for 239 days, said in his letter he sent to his lawyers, "We are not begging for right from nobody, we say that we are going to have justice with our bare hands" and called for participation to his court hearing which will be held on February 14th.
Imprisoned Grup Yorum artist İbrahim Gökçek in the Silivri No. 9 Closed Prison, who has turned his hunger strike on its 199th day to a death fast action and reached the 239th days on his death fast sent a letter through his lawyers regarding his action and health status.
Gökçek's letter that he wrote 12 days ago is as follows:
"Hello dear friends. We are going through a difficult time, yet full of resistance. As of today, I am on the 227th day of death fast. If you would ask how it is, I would say 'pretty good'.
You are wondering about my health, I am losing weight, that's true. I weigh 46 kilograms. Of course, I can not be like a normal person, I try to pay more attention to myself and rest in order to prevent the emergence of problems caused by this situation. You also follow Helin, sometimes there is a burning on my feet as she also suffers. This causes me to experience some sleeplessness, especially at night, but there is no serious problem for now. I stand up and take care of myself, I get plenty of rest. I try to keep my health under control as much as possible. Once my brain is sure, the rest is not a problem. I am on the death fast and I want something more than health: I want 'justice and freedom'!
My dear friends, the artist, intellectuals, journalists, doctors, engineers, my fellows, my elders, my masters. I follow your intensive interest and efforts. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
WE HAVE SAID OUR LAST WORDS IN THE BEGINNING
Did I write too much? Let me finish. I say, let's give a shoulder a bit more, let's hold on a bit more. Our first court will be seen on February 14, the hitman is in the 37th Assize Court in Istanbul. The only thing that complies with the law today is to meet our demands. We are not begging for rights, we are saying that we will take justice with our bare hands.
I'm waiting for you all in court, crowdedly. I will definitely try to be there in case I do not have a private health problem that day. It will make me very happy to see your hundreds in the courtroom."
GRUP YORUM HAVE FOUR DEMANDS
Group Yorum member artists started a hunger strike first demanding the release of imprisoned members of the band, the removal of arrest warrants issued by the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the conclusion of the bans against their concerts and pressures on the İdil Cultural Center. And then they turned the action into a death fast. The action of İbrahim Gökçek, who turned the hunger strike action in the 199th to death fast in Silivri No.9 Closed Prison and now he is on his 239th day. The action of Helin Bölek, who switched to death fast on the 213th day of the hunger strike with the same demand, is on the 237th day of her death fast.