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1996
 Haluk
Gerger, a former assistant professor at the University of Ankara, a well-known
intellectual, and a respected writer on nuclear weapons strategy, has been repeatedly
imprisoned for the peaceful expression of his opinion. Dr. Gerger is a founding
member of the Turkish Human Rights Association. He is an ardent defender of
Kurdish rights, although not a Kurd himself. His writings on the issue and his
criticism of governmental policies in response to the armed conflict between
Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces in southeast Turkey have led to frequent
arrests by the Turkish authorities. Dr. Gerger was released from prison in October
1995 and attended the 1996 AAAS Annual Meeting. Since then, he has been imprisoned
twice more for articles he wrote regarding the treatment of Kurds in Turkey.
Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, a Vietnamese endocrinologist, was arrested for his non-violent
criticism of Vietnamese authorities. Dr. Que, a graduate of Saigon medical school,
was dismissed from his post as Director of Cho-Ray Hospital in 1978 for his
criticism of Vietnam's health care policies. Also in 1978, he was accused of
"rebelling against the regime," and detained for ten years in prison without
trial. Dr. Que was released from prison in 1988 and rearrested in 1990 for issuing
an appeal to individuals and organizations in Vietnam calling for freedom, democracy,
and political pluralism in that country. He was sentenced to twenty years hard
labor to be followed by five-years house arrest. Dr. Que was released in an
amnesty in 1998. Dr. Nguyen Dan Que lives in Hanoi, where he continues to advocate
for democracy in Vietnam.
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