Category B — PROFFESIONAL //IPBL 17
2016
It was a hot July day in the central Anatolian city of Sivas, Turkey, in 1993. A group of Turkish intellectuals, mostly Alevis, including prominent writers, musicians, poets and artists, had gathered for a cultural festival at the downtown Hotel Madimak. The happy troupe came to commemorate the 16th century Alevi poet, Pir Sultan Abdal. In the following days, a total of 190 people were arrested and charged with "attempting to establish a religious state by changing the constitutional order." After a trial, 33 suspects were sentenced to death, 99 received between 28 months and 15 years, and 37 were acquitted. As Turkey later (in 2002) abolished the death penalty, the death sentences were commuted. Each defendant received 35 life sentences, one for each murder victim, and additional time for other crimes.