The persecution against Turkey’s famous Armenian linguist Sevan Nishanian continues. As the linguist had foreseen in one of his last letters, Turkey’s “justice” has taken the decision to exile him to a closed jail in Burja. According to “ArmenPress”, this was posted on Nishanian’s Facebook page, which his son moderates.

In one his last letters, Nishanian informed that he is being investigated under the charge of humiliating an officer in one of his recent articles. The head of the jail called Nishanian and told him to testify. According to Nishanian, he may be transferred to a closed prison in a couple of days. “The real reason wasn’t the article. I was told that this prison stopped being “good” after I came and that the prisoners will be able to act freely when I’m gone,” said Nishanian.

Earlier, Nishanian had sent a letter to journalist Hasan Jemal, stating that he’s not treated as the other prisoners. According to Nishanian, he is being subject to discrimination “by the order from above”. In the letter, the linguist said he was treated very well when he first arrived and was respected as a writer.

Even the head of the prison called him twice and talked to him, after which Nishanian was appointed the librarian of the jail house, promised a computer and Internet connection so that he could work on his book.

“Three days later, the authorities called, and everything changed. They started looking away and saying bad things to me. The library was closed, and this stopped me from working. I was also denied a computer.

They started intimidating me,” said Nishanian, adding that they started warning him that he would be transferred to a closed prison in case he made any mistake. Whereas people in an open prison are entitled to work for non-governmental organizations outside, Nishanian said, “if you want to be a worker, we’ll send you to the city cemetery”. There is no other job.

Turkey’s court had acknowledged the Armenian linguist as guilty “for illegal construction on a piece of property”. Nishanian, who had been sentenced to two years in prison, had been at the Torbal prison of Izmir since January 2^nd. By the court’s permission, he was able to leave the prison for a week. His son, Arsen Nishanian informed that his father will have the opportunity to be in liberty for three to four days every three months.

http://armenpress.am/