Turkey

Leading human rights organizations have come together to demand the acquittal of 19 human rights defenders for their participation in a Pride parade in 2019, ahead of the verdict expected on Thursday.

The 18 students and an academic at the Middle East Technical University (METU) are facing prison sentences of up to three years simply for organizing and participating in a Pride march on campus that the University management had unlawfully banned.

“In the summer of 2019, students and others peacefully participating in a celebration of love and solidarity were met with police pepper spray, plastic bullets and tear gas. Nineteen of them have also been dragged through the courts on baseless criminal charges and face absurd jail sentences,” said Nils Muižnieks, Amnesty International’s Europe Director.

“The ban of the Pride march lacked legal grounds and these brave students who defied it had their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly violated. They must be acquitted.”

On 3 July 2020 the first instance court issued its verdict on the Büyükada case. It convicted Taner Kılıç of ‘membership of the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)’ under Article 314/2 of the Penal Code, sentencing him to six years and three months’ imprisonment. The court convicted İdil Eser, Günal Kursun and Özlem Dalkıran for ‘knowingly and willingly supporting FETÖ’ under Article 220/7 of the Penal Code, sentencing each of them to 25 months’ imprisonment. The remaining seven human rights defenders were acquitted.

This virus won’t kill me; what will kill me is your system. 

Lorry driver Malik Yılmaz

Corona virus is devastating lives worldwide, whether because of the illness itself or the social and economic impact of lockdowns and other government measures. Everywhere, the poorest are being hit hardest. In Turkey, the authorities are making the situation worse by using the pandemic as an excuse to further stifle the right to freedom of expression. They are hounding social media users, journalists, doctors and others, and invoking legal provisions that criminalize dissent, in efforts to silence their critics.

Crackdown on social media

Around 54 million people use social media in Turkey, nearly two-thirds of the population. The country ranks seventh on the list of active Twitter users (13.6 million people) and tops the list for legal requests by the state to remove content.

On 3 July 2020 - three years after they were first detained - 11 human rights activists will hear a court’s verdict on charges which could result in jail terms of up to 15 years. One fundamental truth is beyond any doubt: they have done nothing wrong.

What have they done?

They have done nothing wrong. They stood up for human rights in Turkey. 

The 11 - that includes the former chair, ex-director and several members of Amnesty Turkey as well as women’s and equality advocates – face absurd ‘terrorism’ charges without any credible evidence being presented over the course of ten hearings.

Since their detention in 2017, more than two million people around the world – from Ai Wei Wei to Whoopi Goldberg - have spoken out for justice for the 11 rights defenders. Now as this unfair trial is coming to a close, we are asking you to join us in adding your voice and send a message of solidarity to the 11 activists ahead of the verdict.

After all, when people who defend our rights are silenced, we are all at risk.

When were they arrested and what are they accused of?

Following reports that Turkey is allowing asylum-seekers to depart its territory and attempt to enter the European Union particularly Greece and Bulgaria, Amnesty International’s Deputy Research Director, Massimo Moratti, said: 

“What we are seeing now at Turkey’s land and sea borders with the EU is that people seeking asylum are once again being used as bargaining chips in a deadly political game, a predictable consequence of the EU-Turkey deal. 

“EU member states need to do far more to share responsibility for refugees arriving in Turkey, both through financial support and ensuring safe pathways to Europe.

Following the acquittal of Osman Kavala and eight other defendants in the so-called ‘Gezi trial’, Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum said:

“Today’s decision is hugely welcome and confirms what has been clear to the entire world for more than two years.

“The only just verdict in this baseless case, devoid of any substance, was always going to be the wholesale acquittal of those who stood trial, but in today’s Turkey this was far from guaranteed.

“After almost two and a half years in prison, it is wonderful that Osman Kavala will finally walk free. While the injustice of his lengthy incarceration cannot be erased, this remains a huge relief for civil society in Turkey.

“Today’s judgement was a touchstone for Turkish justice and we hope it signals a shift in political climate in the country and brings to an end these politically motivated prosecutions. We also hope this decision bodes well ahead of tomorrow’s critical verdict for 11 human rights activists, including former Amnesty leaders, who face sentences of up to 15 years.

Ahead of tomorrow’s third hearing in the trial of civil society leader Osman Kavala and 15 others on trumped up charges of ‘attempting to overthrow the government’, Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum said:

“This prosecution is a shameful attempt to silence independent civil society and part of a wider ongoing crackdown on rights defenders.

Osman Kavala should not have spent a single minute behind bars let alone more than two years in pre-trial detention.

“He, and 15 others, are facing spurious accusations devoid of any evidence that they were involved in any criminal activity, let alone conspiring to overthrow the government.”

“He must be immediately and unconditionally released from jail and the charges against him and the 15 other civil society figures dropped.

“A month after the European Court of Human Rights called on Turkey to release Osman Kavala immediately, every passing day he spends behind bars further compounds the violation of his rights.