The Hunger Strike Monitoring Delegation drew attention to the situation of Mustafa Kocak, Ibrahim Gokcek (Grup Yorum member), and Ebru Timtik and Aytac Unsal (members of the Contemporary Lawyers Association - ÇHD) who continue their death fast.

The Hunger Strike Monitoring Delegation is made up of the Istanbul Medical Chamber, Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV) and the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES).

The delegation held a press conference in Istanbul. A banner saying 'We are defending life' was hung in the hall where representatives and executives of the delegation and families of the death fast activists met.

Reading the statement, IHD Istanbul Branch chair, Gülseren Yoleri, first paid tribute to Helin Bölek, a member of Grup Yorum, who died after 288 days of death fast.

Yoleri, who warned that other activists are facing death, stated that as of 20 April, İbrahim Gökçek had been in the death fast for 308 days, Mustafa Koçak for 293, Ebru Timtik 109 and Aytaç Ünsal for 78.

Yoleri said: "People are on hunger strike demanding the respect of fundamental rights, including the right to a fair trial, the prevention of arbitrary and illegal pressure and prohibitions, the freedom to make music."

Yoleri added: "It is the state's responsibility to ensure that human beings are able to exercise their rights and freedoms that are those who make us human. We know that we have the right to resist the persecution if the state does not fulfill this responsibility."

Emphasizing that the rulers of the country are responsible for the deathof Helin Bölek, Yoleri said: "We do not want İbrahim, Mustafa, Ebru and Aytaç to die."

Yoleri called for "social sensitivity in accordance with the responsibility of our right to resist persecution in order to protect human dignity in the defense of human rights, including the right to life."