To: Human rights organizations and activists around the world

[eshterak]

From: Campaign in defense of political refugees' hunger strike in Van-Turkey

To: Human rights organizations and activists around the world 

   On March ۲۹'th ۲۰۱۰, seven persons who have been accepted and approved as refugee since several years ago by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), have gone on a hunger strike (some of them are now hospitalized). These seven refugees attempted this hunger strike due to UNHCR's (office of Van-Turkey) disregard and also not receiving a certain answer from UNHCR (office of Ankara-Turkey) in relation to their status.

   Now, after almost one week, there has not been any attention from UNHCR officials. Of course they have been accepted as refugee and because of this, based on ۱۹۵۱ Geneva Convention, they must be transferred and resettled to a third peaceful country as soon as possible. This process could not last for a lifelong period. It's necessary to mention that the process of  refugees' transference to another country via UNHCR office in Van-Turkey averagely takes one or one and a half year while these refugees have been waiting averagely more than two years in a very tough condition to be resettled.

   Hereby we appeal to human rights organizations and activists and all the individuals who read this letter to do whatever they can for these refugees who has been enduring a hard condition to prevent any consequent painful accident which might have been occurred.

Best regards

Campaign in defense of political refugees' hunger strike in Van-Turkey