A 53-year-old Italian vet and
activist who has been held in Turkey for a week was released on
Thursday, his friend and Italy contact told reporters.
Gianfranco Castellotti, from Massa on the northern Tuscan
coast, "was freed today," said Maria Grazia Vanelli.
"There are no deportation orders, he will leave Turkey a free
man.
"We are organising the return journey with the consulate.
"We are preparing the tickets.
"He should leave physically today or tomorrow at the most".
Castellotti was arrested last Thursday in a raid by Turkish
police on an Istanbul cultural centre.
He was in the Turkish capital to follow the trial of Grup
Yorum, a band accused of terrorism for singing about freedom
from the government.
Vanelli said he had started a hunger strike to protest the
conditions he and the others arrested were being held in, and
"because he doesn't want his deportation to stop him going back
to Turkey one day.
"If he continues the hunger strike he may have health
problems but if I know him a little I don't think he'll give
in".
Vanelli also said he had been allowed to see a lawyer and
take drugs he must take because he cannot interrupt a therapy he
is undergoing.
There was a rally for Castellotti outside Massa's main
theatre at 15:00 Saturday following an appeal from the
Anti-Imperialist Front Italia association.
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