This week, following a decree from the Ministries of Interior and Economy, the owner of Sarrazins had their assets frozen. As a result, the publishing house is facing temporary closure of its online store and major difficulties in publishing future productions for a renewable six-month period. The reasons for this decision are based on several old publications, including media criticisms, support for causes and authors, as well as books sold on their site concerning historical and political subjects. Among the concerned works are books about Uyghurs, historical figures of Islam, and critiques of Israeli colonialism, which were deemed problematic by the authorities. However, the books published by Sarrazins, as well as articles from their magazine, are not implicated in this accusation. The publisher is accused of being an agent ‘inciting terrorism’ due to the sale of books from third-party publishers, although these works are legal in other stores. Despite the obstacles, Sarrazins assures that its activities will continue and pre-orders will be sent as planned. The publishing house is working with a lawyer to quickly restore the site and continue its editorial projects.
