Amnesty International Makes Statement on Detention of Human Rights Defenders

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Amnesty International Turkey Office has made a statement regarding human rights defenders including Amnesty International Turkey Director İdil Eser being taken into custody in a raid while holding a workshop yesterday (July 5) in Büyükada in İstanbul and demanded release of the detainees.

In its statement, the organization reported that the detainees were not being allowed to meet anyone.

Seven human rights advocates and two trainers

Amnesty International Turkey Director İdil Eser was taken into custody yesterday together with seven other human rights advocates and two trainers during a workshop on digital security and information management.

According to the information Kerem Altıparmak has shared on the social media regarding the detention, the following people were taken into custody yesterday in the raid and are in detention in Büyükada police department:

Nalan Erkem and Özlem Dalkıran (Helsinki Citizens Assembly), İlknur Üstün (Women's Coalition), İdil Eser and Veli Acu (Amnesty International), Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Nejat Taştan (Association for Monitoring Equal Rights), Şeyhmuz Özbekli and Ali Garawi.

In addition, two trainers and the owner of the hotel in which the raid was carried out were taken into custody as well.

CLICK - Human Rights Defenders Detained in Büyükada

"They attended a routine training"

Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty making a statement on the issue said:

"We are profoundly disturbed and outraged that some of Turkey's leading human rights defenders, including the Director of Amnesty International Turkey should have been detained so blatantly without cause.

"This is a grotesque abuse of power and highlights the precarious situation facing human rights activists in the country. Idil Eser and those detained with her, must be immediately and unconditionally released.

"Her incommunicado detention and that of the other human rights defenders attending a routine training event, is a grotesque abuse of power and highlights the precarious situation facing human rights activists in the country. Idil Eser and those detained with her, must be immediately and unconditionally released.

"World leaders currently sitting in Hamburg have been remarkably tolerant of Turkey's human rights meltdown. With President Erdoğan now in their midst, this would be a good time to speak out firmly and call for the release of all human rights defenders currently behind bars."

"Whereabouts of detainees unknown"

Amnesty International giving information on the current situation of the detainees stated that the whereabouts of Idil Eser and the others detained alongside her were still unknown and added:

"Idil Eser and the other detainees, are understood to have been denied access to lawyers, which police are entitled to do for 24 hours, and the right to contact a family member, which must be granted immediately.

"Police have told lawyers that they will be given information at 2.30pm today (July 6).

"These detentions come less than a month after Amnesty International's Turkey chair, Taner Kiliç, was remanded in prison custody on baseless charges". (AS/DG)