The families of the prisoners who were exposed persecution of the FETO and February 28 judiciaries stated that it is a great persecution for an innocent man to be held in the prison for 20 years.

Nuri Arslan's parents stated that their son had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the made-up accusations on the grounds that he did not remain silent against persecution and because of his Islamic sensibilities. The parent added that they have been waiting for the justice to emerge for their son, who has been held in prison innocently for 20 years. Parent expect the victims, who exposed to plots of Feb. 28 and FETO judiciaries, will benefit from the amnesty draft, which recently is on the agenda.

Nuri Arslan, who was detained in Gaziantep in 1998 and was severely tortured and later arrested by the court, was severely punished during the trial period in which the rules of law were disregarded. Arslan, who has been imprisoned for 20 years, has been waiting for justice for many years, just as the hundreds of victims of February 28.

Nuri Arslan is only one of the victims of the battue period launched against religious people and institutions in the 90s and early 2000s. His parents told ILKHA the grievance they have suffered.

Stating that their son has been suffering from a variety of diseases during his time in prison and have had 4 cardiac operations until now, parents of Nuri Arslan added that their son was punished unfairly and unlawfully and the only thing they want is justice.

Father Murat Arslan stated that his son was imprisoned for his Islamic identity, asked his son to benefit from the amnesty draft presented to the parliament by the MHP.

"I was seeing nor a mistake or a crime committed by my son. He was going to the mosque, teaching Qur'an. Is not Turkiye a Muslim country? This country is not a Christian or a Jewish state. It is a state where the majority of people are Muslims. Even Mr. President reads the Qur'an and the only crime of my son is because he was teaching Qur'an. Only because of this, my son is in prison for 20 years," said father Arslan.

"It is a great persecution that an innocent man has been imprisoned for 20 years"

Expressing that his wife and he have caught several diseases due to longing for their son in these 20 years, Nuri Arslan's father continued, "What is the crime of my son that he is in prison for 20 years? We want our son also benefit from this amnesty draft.  It is a great persecution for an innocent man has been imprisoned for 20 years. We want our son to benefit from this pardon (penalty reduction) and should be released. I have repeatedly asked Mr. President through the press and repeatedly addressed the Mr. President. I explained the situation of my son. I asked for my son's file to be reopened and re-examined. But we got no answers for my calls and demands."

Pointing to the release of CHP Istanbul deputy Enis Berberoglu, who was convicted of "political or military espionage," crime, father Arslan drew attention that the superior law still applies in Turkiye.

Arslan, who reacted to the double standard in law, said:

"God forbid, even if my son dies in prison, nobody cares. This amnesty should be for the oppressed people. However, when we look, we see that the state is not siding Muslims. They do not defend Muslims at the point of justice. This affair must be made for oppressed people, inoffensive people, and poor people."

Mother Hatun Arslan also said that the FETO members punished her son, demanded this persecution to end as soon as possible and that they wanted her son to benefit from a penalty reduction. (İbrahim Koçyiğit - ILKHA)