Provisional release of 22 trade unionists and human rights defenders

TURKEY: Provisional release of trade unionists and human rights defenders

Paris-Geneva,April 12, 2013. The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the InternationalFederation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT), welcomes the release of 22Turkish trade unionists and human rights defenders accused of membership withan illegal organisation.

On April 10, 2013, 22 trade unionistswere provisionally released. However, charges are still pendingagainst them and the next hearing in their trial is scheduled for July 8, 2013.

The 22 trade unionists released wereamong the 28 who had been arrested and subsequently placed on pre-trialdetention[1] in June 2012 on charges of“being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of Turkish PenalCode (TPC), in the framework of an anti-terrorist operation intended todismantle the alleged terrorist network KCK[2].The remaining 6 out of the 28 had already been released on February 15, 2013[3].

“We arerelieved that all the pre-trial detainees are now out of jail in thatparticular case, but we are concerned about the persistence of charges againstthem. We also deplore more generally that several leading human rightsactivists, including prominent lawyers and members of FIDH member organisationIHD remain detained, and we urge the Turkish authorities to have them allreleased and to drop all the charges against them” FIDHPresident Souhayr Belhassen said today.

“Although we welcome the release of those 28 human rights defenders, weremain deeply concerned thatjustice continues to be used in Turkey asa weapon to repress, intimidate and punish human rights defenders. We alsodeplore that thevague definition of terrorism and its interpretation by the courts has made itpossible for prosecutors and judges to consider that the mere critic of theauthorities for their human rights record may in itself be construed as a formof support to terrorist groups or evidence of membership in terrorist groups”,OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock added.

Since 2009, several operationsof this kind were launched targeting mostly peaceful Kurdish and pro-Kurdishactivists. This last operation targeted members of trade unions affiliated tothe KESK: the Egitim-Sen, SES (The Trade Union of Public Employees in Healthand Social Services), BTS (United Trade Union of Transport Employees) inAnkara, Diyarbakır, İstanbul, Ağrı, Bitlis, Siirt, Adana, Eskişehir Provinces.

For further information, pleasecontact:

• FIDH:Audrey Couprie / Arthur Manet: + 33 1 43 55 25 18

• OMCT:Delphine Reculeau: + 41 22 809 49 39

[1] These were: Yunus Akıl -Former President of BTS / Council Member of KESK, Belgizar Sazak -Council Member of BES, Mehmet Arda - Member of Eğitim Sen, MehmetSıddık Akın - Secretary General of SES, İzzettin Alpergin -Secretary General of Tüm Bel Sen, Yılmaz Yıldırımcı - Executive of TümBel Sen Ankara Second Branch, Sakine Esen Yılmaz - Executive of Eğitim Sen, Nihat Kılınçalp - Executive of Eğitim Sen AnkaraFirst Branch, Metin Vuranok - General President of Tarım Orkam-Sen, ErdalTuran - Executive of SES Ankara Branch, Ferruh Çelik - Executive of Tüm Bel Sen Ankara SecondBranch, Hanım Koçyiğit - Memberof Eğitim Sen, Seyran Şık - Haber-Sen Women Secretary General, MehmetSezgin İbin - Executive of Tarım Orkam Sen Ankara Branch, MustafaBozan - Ankara Branch Chairperson of Yapı Yol Sen, Aykut Erhan Turgut- Executive of Eğitim Sen Ankara SecondBranch, Deniz Bozbey - Member of Eğitim Sen, Sibel Anıl - Member of Haber-Sen, Erdal Yılmaz - Member of SES, Bekir Gürbüz - Member of Eğitim Sen, Tarık Kaya - Member of Eğitim Sen, Osman İşçi - Member of Eğitim Sen andResearcher in Hacettepe University, Çerkez Aydın, Veysel Özhekdi,Hasan Örgün, Şerif İldoğan, Mehmet Bozgeyik and FikretÇalağan.

[2] KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) is an organisation said by theauthorities to be the “urban branch” of the armed Kurdistan Workers Party(PKK).

[3] Namely: SES General Secretary SıddıkAkın, Eğitim-Sen Tunceli Branch Chairperson Hasan Ölgün, Eğitim-Sen AdıyamanBranch executive Erdal Yılmaz, Eğitim-Sen member Hanım Koçyiğit, BTS DiyarbakırBranch Secretary Veysel Özhekti and Haber-Sen member Sibel Anıl.