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The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Simon Coveney, T.D. today reacted to the formal arrest of six human rights defenders, including the Director of Amnesty International Turkey, Idil Eser, in Turkey yesterday.

Minister Coveney said:

"The arrest of these human rights defenders in Turkey marks a new low in the deeply troubling trend on fundamental freedoms that we are witnessing in Turkey. The targeting of human rights activists is not an activity we expect to see in a country which respects basic human rights and the rule of law, and I call on the Turkish authorities to release those arrested. Human rights organisations carry out essential and legitimate roles and their right to do so must be protected. In all cases, persons arrested must be accorded full due process, including the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial."

Notes to editors: 

The Executive Director of Amnesty International Turkey, Idil Eser, was detained along with seven other human rights defenders and two trainers during a digital security and information management workshop in Büyükada, Istanbul on 6 July. Six of those detained have now been arrested, including Idil Eser. They are Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Özlem Dalkıran (Citizens’ Assembly), Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association) Ali Gharavi (IT strategy consultant) and Peter Steudtner (non-violence and wellbeing trainer).

Mr. Taner Kiliç Chair of Amnesty International, Turkey and 22 other lawyers were arrested in Izmir on 6 June.

These arrests have been made under the State of Emergency in operation in Turkey since a failed coup attempt on 15 July 2016, which have seen some 140,000 public servants, journalists, human rights activists and academics dismissed, detained or arrested.