Ragip Zarakolu A Turkish human rights activist and publisher who is facing legal prosecution in Turkey for his activities. Country: Turkey

1. Early Activism and Imprisonments
2. Belge Publishing House and Ongoing Persecution
3. Convictions and International Recognition

Ragıp Zarakolu: A Turkish Human Rights Defender and Publisher Facing Prosecution

Ragıp Zarakolu is a Turkish human rights defender and publisher who has faced legal persecution in Turkey for his work. Born in 1948 on the island of Büyükada near Istanbul, Zarakolu grew up and was raised with members of the Armenian and Greek ethnic minorities.

Early Activism and Imprisonments

In 1968, Zarakolu began writing for the magazines Ant and Yeni Ufuklar. In 1971, he was arrested by the military junta on charges of having secret connections with Amnesty International. He spent five months in prison before the charges were dropped. In 1972, he was sentenced to two years in prison for his article in Ant magazine regarding Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam War. He served his sentence in the Selimiye Prison in Istanbul and was released in 1974 under a general amnesty.

Belge Publishing House and Ongoing Persecution

After his release, Zarakolu vowed to continue his campaign for freedom of thought, aiming to "introduce different cultures and thoughts to our society and to provide opportunities for the multi-faceted world to be debated, talked about, and learned about within our own society." Founded in Istanbul in 1977 by Zarakolu and his wife Ayşenur, Belge Publishing House has faced censorship, imprisonment of the Zarakolus, mass confiscations and destruction of books, and heavy fines.

In 1979, Zarakolu became a founding member of the daily newspaper Demokrat, where he wrote a foreign news column. The newspaper was banned during the September 12, 1980 military coup and Zarakolu was briefly imprisoned in 1982 due to his writings for Demokrat. In 1995, Belge's offices were firebombed by members of a far-right group, forcing them to relocate to basement offices. After his wife's death in 2002, Zarakolu has continued to face legal persecution.

Convictions and International Recognition

In June 2008, Zarakolu was convicted by a Turkish court of "insulting the foundations of the Turkish Republic" for publishing a book on the Armenian Genocide. Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Zarakolu has received international recognition for his work, including the NOVIB/PEN Free Expression Award in 2003 and the International Publishers Association Freedom to Publish Prize in 2008. He remains a tireless advocate for human rights and freedom of expression in Turkey.