Turkish court releases Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak after 30 years in prison

Duvar English

A Turkish court on Nov. 26 approved the release of Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak, who had been imprisoned for 30 years.

Journalist Ömer Sönmez shared the news on social media, saying: "The prison board has decided on Çomak’s release; the Execution Court’s approval is pending. If the court does not object, Çomak will regain his freedom today after 30 years, 3 months, and 6 days in detention."

The Execution Court approved the release later in the day, and after completing the formalities, Çomak was freed in the evening from Marmara Prison in Istanbul.

Speaking in front of the prison, Çomak said, “I imagined being released under different circumstances. I thought I would see the light in my loved ones’ eyes on a clear, sunny day, but this is fine too—I was released.”

“I emerged from fabricated darkness to a real darkness,” he said, adding, “I left behind many loved ones. I hope they too will be released soon. I know many people face great injustices. There are those whose releases are delayed by administrative boards or whose sentences are extended unfairly. I have friends in such situations. These issues need to be resolved immediately.”

Authorities arrested İlhan Sami Çomak in 1994 while a 21-year-old student at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Literature. The State Security Court convicted him of “membership in a terrorist organization,” relying heavily on a confession obtained under torture.

The court sentenced Çomak to death, but his punishment was later commuted to life imprisonment after Turkey abolished the death penalty.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2007 that Çomak had not received a fair trial. However, a retrial that began in 2013 also resulted in a decision against him. While in prison, Çomak wrote ten poetry books.

Çomak's release was planned for August 2024. As his family prepared to meet him, the court decided to extend the poet's sentence an additional 96 days, claiming he has not yet "rehabilitated." 

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