Greece must release Barış Erhan immediately!
Barış Erhan is a political refugee who left Turkey for political reasons and crossed to Greece to seek asylum. Since his high school years, he has been involved in the socialist struggle against the fascist Erdoğan dictatorship. During this period, numerous lawsuits were filed against him, police surveillance, threats and pressure became a constant part of his life. In July 2024, when one of the ongoing trials against him in Turkey reached the final stage in the heavy criminal court, he fled the country because he faced the risk of being sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison.
Barış Erhan crossed from Izmir to Greece on a smuggler’s boat with 67 people and was detained by the Greek Coast Guard after the boat ran aground when it reached the coast of Tilos. The Greek state arrested and tried Barış Erhan on false charges, when it should have granted him political asylum, taking into account his political identity, his state of health and the evidence presented in his file.
On June 11, 2025, in Rhodes, the court unlawfully sentenced Barış Erhan to a total of 74 years and 1 month in prison, ignoring the statements and testimonies of Barış Erhan himself, his family, his friends from Athens and the evidence in his file.
Barış Erhan’s arrest, trial and sentence is a political decision. It is one of the latest examples of how the right to political asylum and international law are violated in Greece.
With this attitude against human rights, the Greek state sends a message to those who want to cross to Greece or to European countries through Greece. They say, “Do not come to this country to benefit from the right to asylum, if you do, we will give you life sentences, we will destroy your life here.”
This unlawful treatment of Barış Erhan is an indication of the EU countries’ gradual destruction of the right to asylum and their deep cooperation with the fascist Erdoğan dictatorship.
We strongly condemn the inhuman treatment of Barış Erhan that has been going on for a year and this unlawful sentence.
We call on the Greek state, whose record against political refugees is already tainted, to cease this attack on the democratic right to asylum, to end the unjust imprisonment of Barış Erhan and to release him immediately.
Release Barış Erhan immediately!
Prisoners Voice Platform (TSP)
