Rights Defender Eren Keskin Deposed over Her Tweets from Five Years Ago

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"It is utterly ridiculous that an investigation has been launched into my posts from 5 years ago. The ECtHR stipulates 'clear and imminent danger.' There is no such danger, they have waited till this day. Kurdish question cannot be solved without 'speaking.' As they do not want to solve it, they prevent the ones who think differently. All of us live like 'captives' in a sense."

It is Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair lawyer Eren Keskin who is speaking now. Keskin deposed to the İstanbul Public Prosecutor's Office due to her tweets from five years ago, when the "Democratic Opening" was still underway for the Kurdish question.

Keskin faces the possible charge of "propagandizing for an organization." She announced that she would depose on her social media account:

"I will depose to the prosecutor's office tomorrow for 'propagandizing for an organization' due to my Twitter posts from 2015. The files where I have been sentenced to 17 years, 2 months in total are already waiting at the Court of Cassation. You are literally 'massacring' freedom of expression!"

'I defend freedom of thought'

Keskin has deposed to the prosecutor's office at the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan. Keskin has stated the following:

"I have been performing the duty of attorneyship for 30 years. Moreover, I am the Co-Chair of Human Rights Association (İHD). I use social media about the issues of human rights quite actively. The posts that are cited as criminal evidence against me today are from five years ago.

"There apparently emerged no clear and imminent danger as stipulated by the established case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that no prosecutor's office has summoned me to depose to this day.

"I do not believe that my thoughts can be judged by anyone. I defend freedom of thought. In fact, it is safeguarded by Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which Turkey is a party to.

"As it has been a long time since I shared the posts that you asked me about, I do not remember for what purpose and why I shared them. I believe that these posts need to be considered within freedom of expression.

"Also, when the period when the posts were shared is considered, they were posted during the resolution process. I do not accept the offense charged. I request that a decision of non-prosecution be given for me."

About Eren Keskin

Lawyer, the Editor-in-Chief and columnist of closed daily Özgür Gündem and founder of the Legal Aid Bureau Against Sexual Harassment and Rape in Custody. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Human Rights Association (İHD). She has been struggling for fundamental rights and freedoms in Turkey for years, especially for minority rights, gender equality and rights violations. There are still several ongoing lawsuits against her.

Eren Keskin has been granted several awards: Aachen Peace Prize (2004), Theodor Haecker Prize for Political Courage and Sincerity (2005), symbol figure for struggle against impunity on the International Freedom of Expression Network (IFEX) International Day to End Impunity (2013).

Attorney Eren Keskin, who was the Chief Editor of the Özgür Gündem newspaper from 2013 to 2016, has been on trial in 143 separate lawsuits, including the one that has been filed against Özgür Gündem, which was closed by a Statutory Decree. She has been facing charges of "degrading the Turkish nation" and "insulting the president". (EMK/SD)