Turkey: Court decision to keep Amnesty Chair in jail flies in the face of reason
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 22 November 2017 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Turkey: Court decision to keep Amnesty Chair in jail flies in the face of reason, 22 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1698184.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Responding to today's decision by the Istanbul Court to continue the pre-trial detention of Amnesty International's Turkey Chair, Taner Kılıç, John Dalhuisen said:
"Today in court lawyers for the defence and an independent expert witness demolished the prosecution's arguments. All the evidence shows Taner is innocent but this evening he was nevertheless sent back to the overcrowded cell where he has spent more than five months."
"The court's decision to ignore this evidence and continue his detention flies in the face of reason. It is yet another opportunity missed to correct a gross injustice. We will continue to fight for his release and for the dropping of all charges against both him and the Istanbul 10."
The next court hearing has been set for 31 January, 2018
The restrictions to Taner receiving visits from his lawyers have been lifted as have the travel bans on Özlem Dalkıran, Nejat Taştan and Veli Acu as conditions for their bail. Şeyhmus Özbekli's reporting requirements have also been lifted.
Taner told the court that he has been held with 23 other people in an 8-person cell.
