Scientists who have been exposed to research on the relationship between environmental pollution and cancer are convicted
by
Turkish food engineer and human rights activist Bülent Şık published the results of a study investigating the relationship between environmental pollution and cancer, and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for `` disclosure of confidential matter '' It turns out.
Turkish scientist gets 15-month sentence for publishing environmental study | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/turkish-scientist-gets-15-month-sentence-publishing-environmental-study
Mr. Şık, director of the Food Safety Agriculture Research Center at Akdeniz University in Turkey, told me from the Turkish Ministry of Health whether there is a relationship between poisons in soil, water and food and cancers that occur frequently in western Turkey. I received a request to investigate. After five years of research, Şık and his team have found high levels of pesticides, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food and water samples collected in Western Turkey. It was also found that water collected at multiple locations was contaminated with lead, aluminum, chromium, and arsenic at a dangerous level for drinking water.
by
In 2015, at a meeting with government officials, Şık presented the results of the study and called for immediate action. However, three years later, the government did not take action, so Mr. Şık decided to publish the research results in the Turkish daily newspaper “Cumhuriyet”. Şık's brother was a former investigative journalist at Cumhuriyet who was protesting against the government.
In April 2018, Cumhuriyet announced his research results as a series of four times, and Şık was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Atık's lawyer Can Atalay said, “Bülent Şık fulfilled his duty as a citizen and a scientist and exercised his freedom of expression,” he defended in court. Was convicted of 'publishing.'
“What is surprising in this case is that the Ministry of Health does not claim that Bülent Şık's publication is not true,” said Amnesty International's Milena Buyum. In the trial, the plaintiff alleges that 'the secret matter has been disclosed', which may be acknowledged that Mr. Şık's announcement is true and that there is a health hazard.
Under Turkish law, Mr. Şık is able to avoid imprisonment and put a probation if he shows his reflection, but he refuses to do so. “If you hide the data from your research, you can't have a problem-solving discussion. My article aims to make public research about the public health research that has always been hidden. “We want the state agencies to take action to solve the problem,” says Şık.
by DragonImages
In addition, following the Turkish coup attempt that took place in 2016, President Erdogan of Turkey made corrections for teachers, university professors, and media personnel who seemed not to be their own supporters. Mr. Şık, who signed a petition for peace between the Turkish army and Kurdish extremists, has been suspended, and the Food Safety Agriculture Research Center has been suspended, but at the time of writing the article is said to be free from personal restraint is.
Related Posts:
in Science, Posted by darkhorse_log