Group of NGOs Calls on President Margvelashvili to Grant Mustafa Emre Çabuk Georgian Citizenship

A group of non-governmental organizations call on Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili to grant Georgian citizenship to Turkish citizen Mustafa Emre Çabuk, manager of the Private Demirel College in Tbilisi, and his family members.

The NGOs have released a special statement saying that unfair attitude and tragedy of Mustafa Emre Çabuk and his family is alarming. “Mustafa Emre Çabuk was arrested on May 24, 2017 by the request of the Turkish side and sentenced to pre-extradition imprisonment and the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia included in a special program of defense due to the threats against them.

On 26 January the Tbilisi Court of Appeal did not satisfy the complaint of Mustafa Emre Chabuk and his family members for granting refugee status, on which the issue of extradition is also depended. In case of extradition, Çabuk may become the victim of non-human treatment and torture.

Taking into consideration the abovementioned, we call on the President of Georgia to grant Georgian citizenship to Mustafa Emre Chabuk and his family members, as well as teachers and the family members of Demirel College and Black Sea University who have really special merits before Georgia and have the desire to become citizens of our country. We think that by this step their rights will be more guaranteed and protected in the territory of Georgia, "the statement reads.

The statement is signed by the following non-governmental organizations including “International Transparency – Georgia”, “Young Lawyers’ Association”, “Society for Fair Elections and Democracy,” Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center,” Union "Sapari", "Georgian Democratic Initiative", “ Media Development Foundation,” "Economic Policy Research Center", “Green Alternative ", “Open Society Georgia”, “Georgian Farmers’ Association”, “Georgia’s Atlantic Council”, “Research Journalism and Advocacy Center”, “Society and Banks”, the 42-nd Article of the Constitution, “Georgian Institute for Development of Freedom of Information ", " Regional Center for Strategic Research ", "Civil Development Agency ", “Civil Society Development Agency "," Human Rights Center ","Kakheti Regional Division Development Foundation" and " Georgia's Reforms Association.”