| Title | | Title |
| Turkish court bails rights activists but Amnesty chairman remains in jail | | Turkish court bails rights activists but Amnesty chairman remains in jail |
| Summary | | Summary |
| Amnesty has condemned the charges as "baseless" | | Amnesty has condemned the charges as "baseless" |
| Highlights | | Highlights |
| Content | | Content |
[caption id="attachment_14954" align="aligncenter" width="887"]<img class=" wp-image-14954" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wikitribune-uploads-master/2017/10/After_coup_nightly_demonstartion_of_president_Erdogan_supporters._Istanbul_Turkey_Eastern_Europe_and_Western_Asia._22_July2016-620x413.jpg" alt="" width="887" height="591" /> Post coup demonstartion by Erdogan supporters. Istanbul, Turkey, 22 July, 2016 - <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:After_coup_nightly_demonstartion_of_president_Erdogan_supporters._Istanbul,_Turkey,_Eastern_Europe_and_Western_Asia._22_July,2016.jpg">image</a> by Mstyslav Chernov CC BY-SA 4.0[/caption]
| | [caption id="attachment_14954" align="aligncenter" width="887"]<img class=" wp-image-14954" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wikitribune-uploads-master/2017/10/After_coup_nightly_demonstartion_of_president_Erdogan_supporters._Istanbul_Turkey_Eastern_Europe_and_Western_Asia._22_July2016-620x413.jpg" alt="" width="887" height="591" /> Post coup demonstration by Erdogan supporters. Istanbul, Turkey, 22 July, 2016 - <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:After_coup_nightly_demonstartion_of_president_Erdogan_supporters._Istanbul,_Turkey,_Eastern_Europe_and_Western_Asia._22_July,2016.jpg">image</a> by Mstyslav Chernov CC BY-SA 4.0[/caption]
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| Ten human-rights activists have been released on bail in Turkey but Amnesty International's chairman remains in custody, according to the rights organization. | | Ten human-rights activists have been released on bail in Turkey but Amnesty International's chairman remains in custody, according to the rights organization. |
| Amnesty International praised the release of 10 other activists but condemned the continued detention of Chairman Taner Kilic. | | Amnesty International praised the release of 10 other activists but condemned the continued detention of Chairman Taner Kilic. |
| “The release of the Istanbul 10 late last night restored some faith in Turkey's justice system. Today, that faith has been washed away," <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/10/amnesty-turkey-chair-kept-in-jail/">it said in a statement. </a>While Amnesty said 10 activists had been released, <a href="https://www.apnews.com/5967a315171e43dca90a342c9975df50">The Associated Press said only 8 had been freed pending verdicts in their trials on on charges of belonging to and aiding terror groups.</a> | | “The release of the Istanbul 10 late last night restored some faith in Turkey's justice system. Today, that faith has been washed away," <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/10/amnesty-turkey-chair-kept-in-jail/">it said in a statement. </a>While Amnesty said 10 activists had been released, <a href="https://www.apnews.com/5967a315171e43dca90a342c9975df50">The Associated Press said only 8 had been freed pending verdicts in their trials on on charges of belonging to and aiding terror groups.</a> |
| Amnesty's Kilic <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/amnestys-turkey-head-taner-kilic-charged-for-terror-ties/a-39190736">was detained</a> on June 6 in the Western Turkish city of Izmir, along with 22 lawyers, and charged with "membership of a terror organization," <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/amnestys-turkey-head-taner-kilic-charged-for-terror-ties/a-39190736">according to Deutsche Welle</a>. A month later, on July 5, 10 other human rights defenders <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/18/turkey-holds-six-rights-activists-on-charges-of-aiding-terror-group">were detained</a> during a digital security training event on one of Istanbul's Princes Islands. | | Amnesty's Kilic <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/amnestys-turkey-head-taner-kilic-charged-for-terror-ties/a-39190736">was detained</a> on June 6 in the Western Turkish city of Izmir, along with 22 lawyers, and charged with "membership of a terror organization," <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/amnestys-turkey-head-taner-kilic-charged-for-terror-ties/a-39190736">according to Deutsche Welle</a>. A month later, on July 5, 10 other human rights defenders <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/18/turkey-holds-six-rights-activists-on-charges-of-aiding-terror-group">were detained</a> during a digital security training event on one of Istanbul's Princes Islands. |
| <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/18/turkey-holds-six-rights-activists-on-charges-of-aiding-terror-group">According to The Guardian, </a>the activists arrested on July 5 were İdil Eser (Amnesty International), Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Özlem Dalkıran (Citizens’ Assembly), Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association), Ali Gharavi (IT strategy consultant), Peter Steudtner (non-violence and wellbeing trainer) and İlknur Üstün (Women's Coalition) and Nalan Erkem (Citizens’ Assembly). Şeyhmus Özbekli (Rights Initiative) and Nejat Taştan (Association for Monitoring Equal Rights) were released on bail. | | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/18/turkey-holds-six-rights-activists-on-charges-of-aiding-terror-group">According to The Guardian, </a>the activists arrested on July 5 were İdil Eser (Amnesty International), Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Özlem Dalkıran (Citizens’ Assembly), Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association), Ali Gharavi (IT strategy consultant), Peter Steudtner (non-violence and wellbeing trainer) and İlknur Üstün (Women's Coalition) and Nalan Erkem (Citizens’ Assembly). Şeyhmus Özbekli (Rights Initiative) and Nejat Taştan (Association for Monitoring Equal Rights) were released on bail. |
| Since the failed July 2015 coup attempt, Turkey's government has arrested more than 50,000 people – which it says is in order to deal with alleged coup plotters, according to The Associated Press. <a href="https://cpj.org/europe/turkey/">Journalists</a> and human-rights activists also have been caught up in the crackdown, which rights-groups say are an attempt to stifle government criticism. | | Since the failed July 2015 coup attempt, Turkey's government has arrested more than 50,000 people – which it says is in order to deal with alleged coup plotters, according to The Associated Press. <a href="https://cpj.org/europe/turkey/">Journalists</a> and human-rights activists also have been caught up in the crackdown, which rights-groups say are an attempt to stifle government criticism. |
| Gharavi and Steudtner had been in Istanbul to give privacy and security training to human-rights defenders. After the arrest of the activists, President Tayyip Erdogan <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/turkey-detained-rights-activists-170709074704936.html">stated</a> that the group had "gathered for a meeting which was a continuation of July 15," referencing the date of the failed coup. | | Gharavi and Steudtner had been in Istanbul to give privacy and security training to human-rights defenders. After the arrest of the activists, President Tayyip Erdogan <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/turkey-detained-rights-activists-170709074704936.html">stated</a> that the group had "gathered for a meeting which was a continuation of July 15," referencing the date of the failed coup. |
| In July, a <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/01/europe/turkey-germany-prisoners/index.html">criminal court charged</a> Gharavi and Steudtner with "committing crimes in the name of a terrorist organization without being a member." | | In July, a <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/01/europe/turkey-germany-prisoners/index.html">criminal court charged</a> Gharavi and Steudtner with "committing crimes in the name of a terrorist organization without being a member." |
| Turkey's government claims the failed coup was orchestrated by a movement linked to US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen. And alleged use of a message app called Bylock – which Turkish authorities say constitutes evidence of membership in <a href="http://www.trtworld.com/turkey/what-is-feto-397545">a pro-Gulen terrorist organization</a> – has been cited as evidence against journalists and human-rights activits. | | Turkey's government claims the failed coup was orchestrated by a movement linked to US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen. And alleged use of a message app called Bylock – which Turkish authorities say constitutes evidence of membership in <a href="http://www.trtworld.com/turkey/what-is-feto-397545">a pro-Gulen terrorist organization</a> – has been cited as evidence against journalists and human-rights activits. |
| The Turkish government claimed in 2016 to have broken the application's security which it said had allowed it to uncover thousands of Gulenists, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/03/turkey-coup-gulen-movement-bylock-messaging-app">according to</a> The Guardian. | | The Turkish government claimed in 2016 to have broken the application's security which it said had allowed it to uncover thousands of Gulenists, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/03/turkey-coup-gulen-movement-bylock-messaging-app">according to</a> The Guardian. |
| At the start of his trial, Kılıç denied that he had used the ByLock application. Kılıç was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41759618?intlink_from_url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/a30418d5-3efe-415d-b2d2-1480eaf2eb4a/turkey&link_location=live-reporting-story">quoted as saying</a> that two forensic reports found no evidence that ByLock had ever been downloaded on his phone. | | At the start of his trial, Kılıç denied that he had used the ByLock application. Kılıç was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41759618?intlink_from_url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/a30418d5-3efe-415d-b2d2-1480eaf2eb4a/turkey&link_location=live-reporting-story">quoted as saying</a> that two forensic reports found no evidence that ByLock had ever been downloaded on his phone. |
| On October 25 – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/turkish-judge-bails-eight-amnesty-human-rights-activists">following a 12 hour opening session at the Çağlayan court in Istanbul– a</a> judge decided to bail the activists, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/turkish-judge-bails-eight-amnesty-human-rights-activists">according to The Guardian. </a>But hours later Kilic, the Amnesty Turkey chairman, was <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/amnesty-turkey-chair-taner-kilic-remanded-custody-171026142521574.html">remanded in custody</a> in Izmir,<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/amnesty-turkey-chair-taner-kilic-remanded-custody-171026142521574.html"> according to Al Jazeera</a>. | | On October 25 – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/turkish-judge-bails-eight-amnesty-human-rights-activists">following a 12 hour opening session at the Çağlayan court in Istanbul– a</a> judge decided to bail the activists, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/turkish-judge-bails-eight-amnesty-human-rights-activists">according to The Guardian. </a>But hours later Kilic, the Amnesty Turkey chairman, was <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/amnesty-turkey-chair-taner-kilic-remanded-custody-171026142521574.html">remanded in custody</a> in Izmir,<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/amnesty-turkey-chair-taner-kilic-remanded-custody-171026142521574.html"> according to Al Jazeera</a>. |
| In a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/turkish-judge-bails-eight-amnesty-human-rights-activists">statement</a>, Amnesty said that it would continue to put pressure on authorities until all of the accused were freed and acquitted. | | In a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/turkish-judge-bails-eight-amnesty-human-rights-activists">statement</a>, Amnesty said that it would continue to put pressure on authorities until all of the accused were freed and acquitted. |
| <span style="font-weight: 400">Meanwhile, hundreds of other government critics in Turkey have been charged with similar crimes – like the group "Academics for Peace," a collection of over</span><a href="https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/academics-peace"> <span style="font-weight: 400">2000 educators</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> who signed a letter opposing the Turkish military's treatment of Kurdish civilians in the southeast part of the country. </span>
| | <span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, hundreds of other government critics in Turkey have been charged with similar crimes – like the group "Academics for Peace," a collection of over</span><a href="https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/academics-peace"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">2000 educators</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> who signed a letter opposing the Turkish military's treatment of Kurdish civilians in the southeast part of the country. </span>
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| <span style="font-weight: 400">Members of "Academics for Peace" are facing terror charges, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/16/turkey-academics-jailed-signing-petition">according to Human Rights Watch. </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400">The rights group says </span><span style="font-weight: 400">signatories of the petition</span><a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/16/turkey-academics-jailed-signing-petition"> <span style="font-weight: 400">were fired</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> from their academic roles and have</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/turkey-rounds-up-academics-who-signed-petition-denouncing-attacks-on-kurds"> <span style="font-weight: 400">been targeted</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> by government supporters – such as Sedat Peker, a convicted mafia boss and media personality who has 1.5 million <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sedatpekerreisfan/">Facebook followers</a>.</span>
| | <span style="font-weight: 400;">Members of "Academics for Peace" are facing terror charges, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/16/turkey-academics-jailed-signing-petition">according to Human Rights Watch. </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The rights group says </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">signatories of the petition</span><a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/16/turkey-academics-jailed-signing-petition"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">were fired</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from their academic roles and have</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/turkey-rounds-up-academics-who-signed-petition-denouncing-attacks-on-kurds"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">been targeted</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by government supporters – such as Sedat Peker, a convicted mafia boss and media personality who has 1.5 million <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sedatpekerreisfan/">Facebook followers</a>.</span>
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| <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/10/24/pro-govt-turkish-mafia-leader-defends-threat-against-academics-for-peace/">Turkish Minute</a> – a local website with purported ties to Gulen – <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/10/24/pro-govt-turkish-mafia-leader-defends-threat-against-academics-for-peace/">reported that Peker</a> recently <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/10/24/pro-govt-turkish-mafia-leader-defends-threat-against-academics-for-peace/">defended</a> as 'criticism' threats he made towards the group in 2016, when he reportedly threatened to "shed your blood in streams and we will shower in the blood that we shed.” | | <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/10/24/pro-govt-turkish-mafia-leader-defends-threat-against-academics-for-peace/">Turkish Minute</a> – a local website with purported ties to Gulen – <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/10/24/pro-govt-turkish-mafia-leader-defends-threat-against-academics-for-peace/">reported that Peker</a> recently <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/10/24/pro-govt-turkish-mafia-leader-defends-threat-against-academics-for-peace/">defended</a> as 'criticism' threats he made towards the group in 2016, when he reportedly threatened to "shed your blood in streams and we will shower in the blood that we shed.” |
| <span style="font-weight: 400">The European Court of Human Rights</span><a href="https://m.bianet.org/english/politics/190865-ecthr-rejects-application-of-academics-for-peace"> <span style="font-weight: 400">rejected a petition</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> from the Academics for Peace to hear a case that their rights to freedom of expression had been violated, ordering them to wait for the Turkish government's State of Emergency Commission to investigate the matter.</span>
| | <span style="font-weight: 400;">The European Court of Human Rights</span><a href="https://m.bianet.org/english/politics/190865-ecthr-rejects-application-of-academics-for-peace"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">rejected a petition</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from the Academics for Peace to hear a case that their rights to freedom of expression had been violated, ordering them to wait for the Turkish government's State of Emergency Commission to investigate the matter.</span>
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| That doesn't mean all government criticism has ceased. A <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/party-launch-could-upend-erdogan-turkey-political-establishment/4087974.html">new political party</a> being set up by Meral Aksener, a right wing nationalist, has taken aim at the government, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/party-launch-could-upend-erdogan-turkey-political-establishment/4087974.html">according to Voice of America</a>. | | That doesn't mean all government criticism has ceased. A <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/party-launch-could-upend-erdogan-turkey-political-establishment/4087974.html">new political party</a> being set up by Meral Aksener, a right wing nationalist, has taken aim at the government, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/party-launch-could-upend-erdogan-turkey-political-establishment/4087974.html">according to Voice of America</a>. |
| "Media should not be under pressure. Democratic participation, a strong parliament and the national will are irreplaceable," she said. | | "Media should not be under pressure. Democratic participation, a strong parliament and the national will are irreplaceable," she said. |
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