‘11 Human Rights Defenders Must be Acquitted’

* Image: Amnesty International

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

11 rights defenders, against whom a lawsuit was filed on charges of "aiding armed terrorist organizations" and "being members of an armed terrorist organization" due to their meeting entitled "digital security and protection of human rights defenders", will have their ninth hearing at the İstanbul 35th Heavy Penal Court today (October 9).

Ahead of this hearing, Secretary General of Amnesty International Kumi Naidoo has made a statement about the issue.

'End this judicial farce'

"After more than two years and without a shred of credible evidence presented to substantiate the absurd charges made against them, it is now time to end this judicial farce and acquit Taner and 10 other human rights defenders", Naidoo has said and continued as follows:

"Over the course of eight hearings, the prosecuting authorities have failed to present any credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing, yet the threat of conviction has hung over these 11 human rights defenders but also as a warning to anyone else standing up for human rights in Turkey.

'Exonerate human rights defenders'

"Taner and 10 human rights defenders dedicated their lives to defending the rights of others and are potent symbols of what is still happening under the authorities' relentless crackdown on civil society in Turkey.

"Human rights defenders in Turkey spend their days either languishing in jail or living in constant fear of arrest, prosecution and imprisonment. 10 human rights defenders and Taner should be exonerated, and all those jailed merely for defending human rights must be immediately, unconditionally released".

(HA/SD)