43 Rights Advocates Released on Probation

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43 rights advocates who were detained during their statement in support of educators Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça, who are on their 153rd day of the hunger strike and detained on remand, were released on probation.

Being charged with “propagandizing for an illegal organization”, the 43 rights advocates were being kept in custody for three days.

On August 5, the rights defenders gathering in front of Kartal Heykeli (Eagle Statue) in Beşiktaş wanted to make a press statement to draw attention to the situation of arrested educators Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça, who had been on the 152nd day of their hunger strike. Police intervening in the group, detained 33 people and later assaulted others in the group wanted to read a statement about the detentions and the number of detainees increased to 43 in total.

The rights defenders among whom are also the Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch Chair, Attorney Gülseren Yoleri, İHD Executive Board member Doğan Özkan as well as many other İHD members and Attorney Barkın Timtik had given their testimonies yesterday (August 7) in the police station.

About Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça

On January 6, 2017, Nuriye Gülmen was discharged from her position through the Statutory Decree No. 679 issued under the State of Emergency.

On October 29, 2016, Semih Özakça was discharged from his position through the Statutory Decree No. 675 issued under the State of Emergency.

On March 9, 2017 Gülmen and Özakça went on an indefinite and non-alternate hunger strike in front of the Human Rights Statute on Yüksel Street in Turkey's capital city of Ankara.

They were taken into custody and later released several times during their hunger strike.

Being charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization" ,"opposing to the Law on Assembly and Demonstration" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", they were arrested on May 23. (AS/TK)