Detained Rights Advocate Nejat Taştan Released on Probation

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Rights advocate Nejat Taştan detained during a training workshop on July 5 in Büyükada along with other nine rights defenders, released later and taken forcibly with a warrant to give testimony before court though has been released again after testifying.

İstanbul 9th Criminal Court of Justice has ruled that the number of days he has to report to his supervision officer during the probation period be reduced from three days to two days in a week. His international travel ban remains.

Taştan's attorney Ezgi Şahin Yalvarıcı talking to bianet stated that they had gone to the court together with Taştan at 9 a.m. yesterday (July 24) morning but were made to wait till midnight to give testimony and added that they would file a complaint with respect to this due to violation of a fair trial and maltreatment.

"We were made to wait till 2:30 a.m. at night for testimony"

Taştan's attorney Ezgi Şahin Yalvarıcı talking to bianet stated that they had gone to the court together with Taştan at 9 a.m. yesterday (July 24) morning but were made to wait till after midnight to give testimony and added that they would file a complaint with respect to this due to violation of the right to a fair trial and maltreatment.

"Although we showed up at the court yesterday morning at 9 a.m., we could start the interrogation only at 2:30 a.m. [the next day]. So we were made to wait for more than hours. This also caused that the interrogation could not be carried out properly.

"We don't think that there is any legal difference between other colleagues [other rights defenders in detention]", Şahin Yalvarıcı said and added "We want them to be released immediately". (ÇT/DG)