After 10 years in prison, Murat Arslan, President of YARSAV, was finally released and reunited with his familiy.
In his first message, he expressed his gratitude to all his friends and colleagues around the world who stood by his side during these difficult times:
“I greet each and every one of you with my deepest respect and gratitude. I am delighted and excited to share with you the joy of being reunited with my dear friends, colleagues, and loved ones after ten years stolen from our lives and spent within four walls.
The resilience and solidarity you showed in the face of all the injustices I endured over those ten years are of immeasurable value to me. Despite all the hardships and suffering I endured, your solidarity gave me the strength to remain standing with dignity and determination.
Throughout this period, my body was behind bars, but I never allowed them to imprison my mind, my conscience, or my faith in the law and in human values.
Throughout this period, my body was behind bars, but I never allowed them to imprison my mind, my conscience, or my faith in the law and in human values. I never consented to a freedom stripped of dignity. I never surrendered to fear. I never betrayed the ideals of human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and human dignity that I have always sought to defend. I never gave up my honor, my conscience, or my humanity. On the contrary, I considered it an honor to pay the price for remaining faithful to those principles.
In my struggle, all of you, my valued colleagues and friends, never withheld your support and solidarity. You never left me alone. You always made me feel that you were by my side. Your noble efforts in the name of solidarity, and your very existence, kept my hopes for brighter days alive at all times. The confidence and sense of solidarity that come from belonging to such a great family made me even stronger.
For this reason, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your admirable efforts over the years. Words fall short of expressing my gratitude. I simply cannot thank you enough. I am truly fortunate to have you.”
We are delighted to welcome Murat Arslan back to our international community and look forward to being reunited with him.
