Testimonies of Rights Defenders End, Verdict Awaited

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* Photograph: Çiçek Tahaoğlu

10 rights advocates taken into custody during a training workshop in Büyükada were brought before prosecutor's office in İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse today (July 17) and placed in custodial prison.

The testiomny proceeding lasted until 8:30 p.m. for the rights defenders who were brought prosecutor's office at 2 p.m.

The verdict is expected to be announced in an hour.

Solidarity in the courthouse

*Photograph: Nadire Mater

The families of the rights defenders, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Garo Paylan, Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu, murdered journalist Hrant Dink's wife Rakel Dink, Human Rights Association (İHD) Chair Öztürk Özdoğan, attorney and human rights defender Eren Keskin as well as many other including a group of Hrant Dink's Friends arrived at the courthouse in the early hours this morning.

What happened?

Nalan Erkem and Özlem Dalkıran (Helsinki Citizens Assembly), İlknur Üstün (Women's Coalition), İdil Eser (Human Rights Watch Director to Turkey) and Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association), Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Nejat Taştan (Association for Monitoring Equal Rights), Şeyhmuz Özbekli (Rights Initiative), Ali Garawi (human rights trainer), and Peter Steudtner (German citizen human rights trainer) were taken into custody during a training workshop in Büyükada, one of the Prince Islands in İstanbul.

On July 11, an additional seven days of detention was issued for the rights advocates (ÇT/BK/DG)