Calgary imam imprisoned in Turkey receives 15 more years behind bars
A Calgary imam imprisoned in Turkey for two years after being accused of being a terrorist linked to the failed 2016 coup attempt has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to Turkish media reports.
Davud Hanci, a Canadian and Turkish dual citizen, was arrested on July 23, 2016, a week after a failed military coup. He was accused in state media of being the right-hand man of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S. cleric who founded Hizmet, an Islamic social and educational movement, labelled a terrorist organization by the Recep Tayyip Erdogan government in December 2015.
Hanci was sentenced to 15 years for “establishing and managing a terrorist organization,” according to a translated news report published by TRT Haber, a Turkish news and current affairs public broadcast channel.
He was reportedly acquitted on other charges of attempting “to remove the constitutional order.”
Statements made by Gulen were reportedly found in Hanci’s phone, along with photos of Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter, who is also wanted in his home country for an alleged connection to Gulen.
Family and associates of Hanci, who works as an imam for Correctional Service Canada, said he had returned to his homeland in the summer of 2016, along with his wife and two young sons, to visit his father, who had been suffering from heart issues. But he was soon swept up in mass arrests in the country during the aftermath of the failed coup and was among the tens of thousands of Turkish citizens detained.
Hanci’s wife, Rumeysa, says he has suffered psychological torture during his imprisonment, had minimal contact with family and had limited access to his lawyer.
Moses Yuen, a retired chaplain who worked alongside Hanci at the Calgary Remand Centre, said the past two years have been difficult for the imam’s friends and family.
“It must be hard for her and the two boys,” he said of Hanci’s wife and children. “I know the family, I have worked with Davud and this is certainly very sad news for me to hear that he’s now sentenced for 15 years after two years in jail already. ”
Yuen said he contacted the Canadian government last year but was told little could be done.
Global Affairs Canada stated that consular officials have been in contact with Turkish officials to gather information and would continue to provide assistance to the family. “We are concerned about the recent reports of the sentencing of a Canadian citizen detained in Turkey,” Global Affairs spokesperson John Babcock said. “Global Affairs Canada is in contact with the Canadian citizen and is providing consular services.” Babcock said no further details could be disclosed due to provisions under the Privacy Act.
“I hope the government will do something about it. I don’t know,” Yuen said. “I know Davud myself. I cannot believe that he’s involved in terrorist organizations.”