Journalist Ufuk Şanlı announced that he started a fast-unto-death to protest the unlawful practices of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office following his second arrest on July 11.
In his letter dated August 20 from Silivri Prison, Şanlı stated that he will continue his fast until his indictment is prepared and a lawsuit is filed. He reminded that he was similarly detained for 6 months without indictment in 2016.
In his letter, he said that he had prepared an 8-page will, which would be forwarded to PEN International, Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel and Washington Post executives. He accused prosecutors Can Tuncay and Burak Güner and Oda TV employees of being “journalist killers”.
Şanlı said, “Damn the legal system that allows dishonorable people to ruin our lives. This is all I can do,” he said.
Şanlı, who was arrested during the state of emergency in 2016 on charges of “illegal organization membership”, was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison in 2018 and spent 4.5 years in Silivri. He was released in 2021.
August 23, 2025
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