Vision-impaired journalist, under arrest for 7 months, denied access to Braille books in prison


Date posted: February 7, 2018

Visually impaired Turkish journalist Cüneyt Arat, under arrest over alleged ties to the Gulen movement since July, last year, has said in a letter that he was denied access to Braille books as well as audio-described movies.

Arat was sentenced on Feb. 22, 2017 to 6 years 3 months in prison on charges of membership to the Gülen movement while also getting 10 months and 15 days of jail time for promoting a “terrorist” organization. He was put behind bars after an upper court upheld one of his convictions, on July 10, 2017.

“They have yet to give me my Braille books, audio-described movies and my talking clock,” said a script from his letter, published on his Twitter account on Feb 3.

Arat said he has 90-percent vision loss and that he had someone else to type the letter for him.

Source: Turkey Purge , February 7, 2018

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