Unoffensive Animal

Osman Evcan born in 1959 in Samsun, is an anarchist prisoner who spent the last 41 years in prison. İn 1992, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison with the charges of being a member of a radical leftist group. He was also imprisoned for 9 years between 1980-1989. Since Osman adopted anarchist ideas in 2003, he also became vegan and supports animal liberation struggles.

Osman Evcan was imprisoned in many different prisons all over the country during his conviction. He built his life fighting against authoritarian violence and especially the violence and oppression which is a systemic part of the prison’s hierarchical structure, and he still continues his fight against prison’s oppressive mentality, without giving an inch, aspiring to the right standards for anarchist, vegan, libertarian individuals.

Osman’s first barnburner act was his hunger strike in 2011 for vegan food to be available in prison which lasted 42 days. During his hunger strike the anarchists, animal liberationists from all over the World and in Turkey supported Osman’s fight to access vegan food in prison. After 42 days of hunger strike the government gave in and made regulations for the vegan and vegetarian prisoners: “Vegan or vegetarian prisoners demands will be accepted as long as its limited by subsistence allowance.” After this victory of all anarchists, animal liberationists and political prisoners, Osman continued to be in the anarchist struggle during his time in prison. He has supported the LGBT, Animal Liberation, women’s rights, anti-imperialist struggles outside prison and he made hunger strikes to protest the animal massacre during each ‘feast of sacrifice’ every year for 3 days. He wrote articles to support nature, ethnic and different identities against the government’s and comprador bourgeoisie’s raids and he still continues his political fight as much as he can from prison.

He self-criticized by saying that both capitalist and socialist system forms for being are statist message and colonist formations.

To quote his own words: “Veganism is not only a capitalism contrast it also includes socialism contrast. Veganism is civilization contrast. Veganism has an all out attitude against technological destruction, violence, human species alienation to nature and to itself, ecological pillage, pollution, colonialism, global warming. Act of civilization has a common history with statist forms of organizations. The idea of a state grown up process starting from primitive-simple history ongoing modernization continuum for thousands of years and transforming to nation state is a result of civilization. We cant separate this ongoing, mutually reinforcing facts that produce each other, from each other. Veganism is a radical attitude against all…”

In Kocaeli no 1 high security prison, the pressure against him continued to increase. After his hunger strike for 33 days on June 2015 he took vegan food supplies one step further and he gained the right to get vegan food from outside the prisons. The prison administration usurped this gain due to arbitrarily reasons. Osman Evcan continued his hunger strike since 10 November 2015 and won the fight in late December 2015.

• Osman Evcan could be with us in the near future.
  He could’ve been released in September of 2022. The worst scenario is 2028.

To send letters :
Letter Adress
Marmara Kapalı Cezaevi
Infaz Kurumu (9 Nolu)
Oda No: A-6-41
PTT Kampüs Cezaevi Şubesi
Istanbul/Silivri

Contact e-mail: [email protected]

Freedom and solidarity for Osman Evcan

A movement with the goal of crushing a ruling oppressive system will have to learn that people in it will be exposed to repression from the government. This can sometimes mean that you, or your friends, are forced into prison. To take care of ourselves, our comrades, our movement, and to continue fighting to achieve our goals, it is therefore important that we practice prisoner support.

Prisoner support can look very different. Among other things, because we may have different needs when we are imprisoned. But also because we who help do it in different ways. Therefore, it is not possible to easily define exactly what prisoner support is, how it is done. However, there are some recognizable features of prisoner support.

As prisoner supporters, it is fundamental to show solidarity with your comrade in prison. You can do that by getting in touch and check what needs the prisoner have. For example, you can write letters to the inmate (guidelines for letter writing differ between different institutions, so check which rules apply in the prison you are writing to). Then think about what you want, and can handle. You can, for example, write a letter only on a single occasion, to show that the inmate is not forgotten, alone. You can also start a longer relationship, by writing letters. You can hear what the inmate wants.

In addition to letter writing, there are other ways to help prisoners. For example, for those who have the opportunity, and if it is allowed by the prison, you can contribute with money and things that the inmate needs, e.g. send books to the prisoner. If necessary, you can also help the inmate’s friends and family, outside the prison. Several families need both emotional and financial support. In cases where you are not able to donate financially, you can contact the nearest Anarchist Black Cross, check if you together can start a fundraiser for the family. You can also be there for the inmate when they are released, helping in different ways when the comrade leaves prison is often important.

With prisoner support, we can not only help inmates but also strengthen comrades outside prisons. All comrades in the movement should know that if they themselves are imprisoned, they will not be alone or forgotten, on the contrary. In this way, prisoner support contributes to strengthening the entire movement for the liberation of animals. No one is alone. No one is free until all are free!

IN SOLIDARITY – PRISONER SUPPORT

The Susaron case is the name given by the Chilean press to the arrest of 4 comrades accused of having set fire to trucks, the meat packing plant and the sales room of the Susaron butcher’s shop. This company is nationally known for producing important imports and exports of pork, beef and chicken.

On September 18, 2022, the comrades entered the main branch of Susaron and set fire to the trucks that were on the premises. As a result of the spread of the fire, the meat packing plant and the sales room were also burned. Due to an investigation, on November 3, 2022, their homes were raided and the 4 comrades were arrested in different places. The following day they were taken into custody and remanded in custody for the crime of arson, and two of them for possession of ammunition.

The case became a media event, appearing in all the national news programs. Due to the seriousness of the facts, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior and the company filed a lawsuit. All of them asked for sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

At present, all the comrades have been convicted.

The first was Itamar, sentenced in March 2024 to 5 years of intensive probation for the crime of arson. She will have to serve the remainder of her sentence in freedom, discounting the time she served in prison.

On August 5, 2024, Panda was sentenced to 4 and a half years for the crime of arson and possession of ammunition. He will have to serve the remainder of his sentence in prison. He is currently in the Colina I prison.

On October 7, 2024, Tortuga was sentenced to 5 years for the crime of arson and possession of ammunition, but he could serve his sentence under intensive probation. Therefore, he is serving the remainder of his sentence. On October 7, 2024, Ru was sentenced to 5 years for the crime of arson. Having to serve the sentence in prison. He is currently in the Santiago 1 prison, awaiting his transfer to the Colina I prison.

Antispeciesist nihilist prisoners From the susaron case to the street!

You can find press releases and updates on the case on the solidarity committee’s page @solidaridad.antiespecista.