Amnesty International on Tuesday said the trial of its local director and five other activists was a politically motivated witch-hunt that charts a frightening future for rights in Turkey.
Dil Eser, local director of the London-based organization, was one of a group of activists including a German and a Swedish national detained on July 5 while attending a workshop on digital security and information management near Istanbul.
Turkey’s state prosecutor had asked the court on Monday to remand all 10 in custody pending trial on charges of membership of a terrorist organization.
Amnesty International’s Secretary-General, Salil Shetty, truth and justice had become “total strangers” in Turkey.
“Turkish prosecutors have had 12 days to establish the obvious: that these ten activists are innocent.
“The decision to proceed shows that truth and justice have become total strangers in Turkey.
“This is not a legitimate investigation, this is a politically motivated witch-hunt that charts a frightening future for rights in Turkey,’’ Shetty, said.
However, the court ordered four of the activists be released.
The 10 activists were detained as part of a crackdown following July 2016’s failed coup attempt in Turkey. (Reuters/NAN)