Obstaclesto freedoms of association

andpeaceful assembly

Turkey

July 7, 2017

The Observatory for the Protectionof Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World OrganisationAgainst Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the followingsituation in Turkey.

Descriptionof the situation:

TheObservatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrestand detention of eight human rights defenders, namely: Ms. Nalan Erkem, lawyer with the Citizens Assembly, Ms. ÖzlemDalkıran, member of the CitizensAssembly, Ms. İlknur Üstün,member of the Women’s Coalition, Ms. Idil Eser, Director of AmnestyInternational Turkey, Mr. Günal Kurşun, lawyerwith the Human Rights Agenda Association, Mr. Veli Acu, member of theHuman Rights Agenda Association, Mr. Nejat Taştan, member ofEqual Rights Watch Association, Mr. Şeyhmuz Özbekli, trainee lawyer andmember of the Rights Initiative, as well as Mr. Ali Gharawi and Mr. PeterSteudtner, security consultants[1].

According to the information received, on July 5,2017, the eight human rights defenders were arrested following a police raidduring a digital security and information management workshop organised by theCitizens Assembly[2]in Büyükada, Istanbul. As of publication of this Urgent Appeal, the eight humanrights defenders were being detained in different police stations across townand scheduled to be transferred on July 7, 2017 to Istanbul Directorate ofSecurity on Vatan Street.

UnderTurkey’s state of emergency, they will not be given access to their lawyers andfamily for at least 24 hours. On July6, 2017, after 24 hours, their detention was extended for seven days.

It has been reported that they are beinginvestigated for “membership of an illegal-armed organisation” under Article314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code by the Istanbul SsecurityDdirectorate.

TheObservatory expresses its deepest concerns over this new wave of arbitraryarrests targeting human rights defenders for the exercise of their legitimateand peaceful human rights activities and obstacles to freedoms of associationand peaceful assembly[3].

TheObservatory urges Turkish authorities to grant Nalan Erkem, Özlem Dalkıran, İlknur Üstün, Idil Eser,Günal Kurşun, Veli Acu, Nejat Taştan, Şeyhmuz Özbekli, Ali Gharawi and PeterSteudtner immediate access to their lawyers and to immediately andunconditionally release them.

Actions requested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities in Turkey, urging them to:

i. Guarantee, in allcircumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Nalan Erkem, ÖzlemDalkıran, İlknur Üstün, Idil Eser, Günal Kurşun, Veli Acu, Nejat Taştan,Şeyhmuz Özbekli, Ali Gharawi and Peter Steudtner, as well as ofall human rights defenders in Turkey;

ii. Immediately andunconditionally release Nalan Erkem, Özlem Dalkıran, İlknur Üstün, Idil Eser,Günal Kurşun, Veli Acu, Nejat Taştan, Şeyhmuz Özbekli, Ali Gharawi, and PeterSteudtner as their detention is arbitrary since it only aims at punishing them for theirlegitimate human rights activities;

iii. Immediately allow Nalan Erkem, ÖzlemDalkıran, İlknur Üstün, Idil Eser, Günal Kurşun, Veli Acu, Nejat Taştan,Şeyhmuz Özbekli, Ali Gharawi, and Peter Steudtner to access theirfamily and lawyers and guarantee their right to due process and a fair trial;

iv. Comply with all theprovisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adoptedby the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular its Articles 1,6(a), 9, 11 and 12.2;

v. Ensure in allcircumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordancewith international human rights standards and international instrumentsratified by Turkey.

Addresses:

· President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Fax: (+90 312)525 58 31

· PrimeMinister of Turkey Binali Yıldırım, Fax: +90 (312) 403 62 82 Email: ozelkalem@basbakanlik.gov.tr

· Minister of Justice, Mr. Bekir Bozdağ, Fax: +90 (0312) 41933 70; E-mail: ozelkalem@adalet.gov.tr

· Minister of Interior, Mr. Süleyman Soylu ; Fax: +90 (312)425 61 30

· AmbassadorIzzet Selim Yenel, Diplomatic Mission of Turkey to the European Union in Brussels,Belgium; Fax: + 32 2 511 04 50

· AmbassadorMr. Ali Naci Koru, Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations in Geneva,Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 734 08 59; Email: mission.turkey@ties.itu.int

Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Turkey in yourrespective country.

***

Paris-Geneva, July 7, 2017

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of thisappeal in your reply.

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) wascreated in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). Theobjective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations ofrepression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, theEuropean Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by internationalcivil society.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH+ 33 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT+ 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

[1] The hotel owner was also arrested and released onJuly 6, 2017.

[2] The CitizensAssembly is an NGO dedicated to peace, democracy and human rights in Europe,working on the notions of fundamental rights and freedoms, peace, democracy andpluralism.

[3] Countlesshuman rights defenders have been arrested since the 2016 failed coup. Amongthem, Mr. Taner Kılıç,chair founding member of Amnesty International Turkey remains in detentionfollowing his arrest on June 6, 2017. See the Observatory’s Urgent Appeal TUR 003 / 0617 / OBS 064 published onJune 16, 2017.