Sütun 1
Sütun 2
Sütun 3
Medya News
Daily News
Breaking News
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • INTERVIEW
  • More
    • SPECIAL REPORTS
    • ECOLOGY
    • WORLD
    • AUDIO ARTICLES
    • JOURNALISM
    • ECONOMY
    • CULTURE & ART
    • LONG READS
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DAILY NEWS
MULTIMEDIA
PODCAST
LIVE BLOG
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • INTERVIEW
  • More
    • SPECIAL REPORTS
    • ECOLOGY
    • WORLD
    • AUDIO ARTICLES
    • JOURNALISM
    • ECONOMY
    • CULTURE & ART
    • LONG READS
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DAILY NEWS
MULTIMEDIA
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Assyrian organisations and human rights defenders protest over monk’s imprisonment sentence in Turkey

12:45 pm 21/04/2021
A A
Assyrian organisations and human rights defenders protest over monk’s imprisonment sentence in Turkey
Share post

The Assyrian monk Sefer (Aho) Bileçen – who leads Mor Yacoub Syriac Orthodox Monastery in Mardin province in Turkey – has been sentenced to two years and one month imprisonment on the allegation of “being a member of an organisation”.

The reason for his sentence was for providing food and water to allegedly two Kurdish fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) when they knocked on the door of his monastery in 2018. After the decision was announced, Aho’s lawyers filed an appeal with the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice.

Assyrian organisations and human rights defenders have reacted to the court’s ruling and launched an online petition, “Free Monk Aho”.

The European Syriac Union (ESU) initiated the campaign which now also has the support of Sweden’s Christian Democrat Party Deputy Lars Göran Peter Adaktusson, Göppingen’s Suruçlu Mor Yakup Church, Mor Efrem and Mor Theodoros Church, the Kirchhain Bible Society, Kano Suryoyo, the German Syriac Union Federation (HSA), the Syriac-Germany Association, the Turabdin Development Associations Federation (DETA), the Netherlands Assyrian Federation and the Turabdin Platform and Assyrian Youth formation.

“This decision causes fear amongst the Assyrian community in Turkey since this is the first time that a priest has been punished like that”, noted Assyrian journalist David Vergili, also an executive member of the European Syriac Union (ESU).

Speaking to Mesopotamia Agency, Vergili stated that Assyrians are taking action against the “unjust sentence” given to Monk Aho. So far, thousands of people have expressed their support for the “Freedom for Monk Aho” campaign.

“What Monk Aho did was to act according to his beliefs. His faith bans rejecting the call of someone asking for food and help. An Assyrian Christian monk is supposed the help those who are in need – no matter who they are”, Vergili said.

Vergili concluded that the punishment of Monk Aho is a continuation of the oppression that Assyrians have been subjected to in Turkey. “Syriac people had to migrate from their villages in the 2000s. They want to come back now, but these incidents raise more concerns as they hope to return”, Vergili added.

“Assyrian properties in Mardin were transferred to the Diyanet (the Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey) and this has caused great concern amongst Assyrians. Then, converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque in Turkey and the ongoing attacks in North and East Syria in which Assyrian villages are also located has raised their concerns even more. Now, this prison sentence given to Monk Aho has caused more fear”.

“Assyrians in Turkey are now more interested in politics in Turkey,” Vergili observed. Assyrian institutions will organise protests in the upcoming period for Monk Aho in front of the European Parliament. Vergili appealed to human rights defenders and Assyrian communities living in Europe: “All Assyrians should support our campaign and take action: we will continue to struggle to reverse the decision”.


Share post

Related Posts

Daily News : 16 June 2025

Daily News : 16 June 2025

June 16, 2025
Starving Gazans killed by Israeli strikes while seeking aid

Starving Gazans killed by Israeli strikes while seeking aid

June 16, 2025
Assyrian-Kurdish dialogue highlights Öcalan’s model for democratic society

Assyrian-Kurdish dialogue highlights Öcalan’s model for democratic society

June 16, 2025
Assyrian massacres of 1915 remembered on 110th anniversary

Assyrian massacres of 1915 remembered on 110th anniversary

June 16, 2025
Öcalan’s Perspective lays theoretical foundations for post-conflict Kurdish politics

Öcalan’s Perspective lays theoretical foundations for post-conflict Kurdish politics

June 16, 2025
Israel, Iran continue deadly exchanges as regional fears grow

Israel, Iran continue deadly exchanges as regional fears grow

June 16, 2025

The news content on our website cannot be quoted without permission, even by citing the source. It cannot be copied or published elsewhere, contrary to the law or without permission.

Follow Medya News

Categories

  • All News
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Human Rights
  • Interview
  • Women
  • Audio Articles
  • Special Report

Quick Menu

  • Daily News
  • Live Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Breaking News

About

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

[email-subscribers-form id=”1″]

Contact

[contact-form-7 id=”18690″ title=”Contact form 1″]

No Result
View All Result
  • All News
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Interview
  • Long Reads
  • World
  • Journalism
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily News
  • Breaking News
  • Newsletter
  • Opinion
  • Authors
  • Podcast
  • LIVE BLOG

© 2020 Medyanews. All Rights Reserved