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* Image: Amnesty International
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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".
About Büyükada Rights Defenders Case10 human rights defenders, who came together in the island of Büyükada in İstanbul for a workshop themed ""digital security and protection of human rights defenders", were taken into custody in a police raid on July 5, 2017. On July 18, Idil Eser (Amnesty International Turkey Director), Özlem Dalkıran (Citizens' Assembly / formerly called Helsinki Citizens Association), Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association), Ali Garawi (citizen of Sweden / human rights trainer) and Peter Steudtner (citizen of Germany / human rights trainer) were arrested on charges of "committing crimes in the name of an armed terrorist organization" and "being members of a terrorist organization." lknur Üstün (Women's Coalition) and Nalan Erkem (Citizens' Assembly / formerly called Helsinki Citizens Association) were also arrested on July 23. As for Nejat Taştan (Association of Monitoring for Equal Rights) and Seyhmuz Özbekli (Rights Initiative Representative), they were released on probation with an international travel ban. At their first hearings on October 25, 2017, Günal Kurşun, İlknur Üstün, İdil Eser, Nalan Erkem, Peter Steudtner, Özlem Dalkıran, Ali Garawi and Veli Acu were released and an international travel ban was imposed on Özlem Dalkıran and Veli Acu. Arrested with 22 other lawyers in June 2017, file of Amnesty Turkey Chair Taner Kılıç was combined with Büyükada case. Release order was issued for Kılıç on January 31, 2018 but a warrant was issued before he was released from prison. Taner Kılıç was released from prison on August 15, 2018. |
(HA/SD)
