Anonymous Patron writes “”Far Away Trial
Academics and human rights advocates are warily monitoring a trial unfolding in an Armenian courtroom, in which a Duke University doctoral student from Turkey faces up to eight years in prison for allegedly taking used books out of the country illegally.
He was held without bail for nearly a month before being charged, on July 21, with violating an article in the Armenian Constitution that bars transportation out of the country of drugs, nuclear weapons and certain “raw materials or cultural valuesâ€? without prior permission. According to the scholarly groups’ reports, Armenian customs regulations require travelers to declare books that are at least 50 years old, as seven of Turkyilmaz’s books reportedly were…”
Armenians in Turkey
The Economist had a story about the problems that scholars face discussing the history of Armenians with Turkey. It also touches on this case.