21 NGO’s Address President to Grant Refugee Status to Mustafa Emre Çabuk

21 Georgian NGO’s have recently signed a joint statement addressing the President of Georgia, with a request to grant refugee status to Mustafa Emre Çabuk and his family, with the statement being published on Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association website. 

“For almost half a year, the Georgian Public has followed the injustice towards the former Demirel College teacher and manager, Mustafa Emre Çabuk, and the tragedy faced by his family. Mustafa Emre Çabuk was detained by Georgian law enforcers on May 24, 2017, placed on pre-extradition detention in a Georgian prison, while his family members were put on a special defense program by the Prosecutor’s Office due to the threats against them. Today, Tbilisi Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint filed for granting Mustafa Emre Çabuk and his family refugee status, to which the matter of his extradition is linked. In case of extradition, there is a risk of inhumane treatment and torture” the statement reads. 

“Unfortunately, the actions undertaken towards Mustafa Emre Çabuk is also an indirect message to other teachers of Demirel college and their families, and they do not feel safe on Georgian territory,” the statement says, further noting that Demirel College and the Black Sea University are all part of Chaglar Educational Institutions, functioning in Georgia for 24 years already, with many of its school graduates (having 30,000 school and university graduates up until today) being highly successful on numerous international Olympiads, while the school and university teachers provide high quality education standards due to their professionalism and qualifications. Many of them were granted Georgian citizenship for their outstanding contribution to our country. 

“Taking into consideration all the above-mentioned points, we’re addressing President of Georgia as a case of exception to grant Georgian citizenship to Mustafa Emre Çabuk and his family, and to the of Demirel College and Black Sea University teachers, that have made an outstanding contribution to our country and really want to become citizens of Georgia. We think this way their rights will be more guaranteed and protected on Georgian territory” the joint statement says. 

The statement is signed by International Transparency Georgia, Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, EMC, Sapari Union, Georgian Democracy Initiative, Media Development Fund, Center for Economic Policy Research, Green Alternative, Open Society Georgia Foundation, Georgian Farmers Association, Atlantic Council of Georgia, Center for Research Journalism and Advocacy, Society and Banks, 42nd Article of Constitution, IDFI, Georgian Institute for Strategic Studies, CIDA, Human Rights Center, Kakheti Regional Development Fund, Georgia’s Reforms Associates.

By Nino Gugunishvili