Turkey prosecutor urges conviction of Amnesty's local chief

Turkey’s state prosecutor has called for the conviction of Amnesty International’s local Head, Taner Kilic, former Director Idil Eser and four other human rights defenders over allegations of involvement in the failed July 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to Press TV, Ankara says the coup attempt had been masterminded by US-based opposition Cleric Fethullah Gulen.

On Wednesday, the prosecutor called for the group to be sentenced on the lesser charge of “aiding a terror group without being a member.”

He added that five other defendants, including German citizen Peter Frank Steudtner and Swedish citizen Ali Gharavi, should be acquitted.

If convicted, Kilic and the other four will be sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. The next, and presumably their final trial hearing, is set to take place on February 19, 2020.

Amnesty has labeled the conviction request as “absurd.”

“After months in jail and years before the courts, the prosecution has failed to present any credible evidence to substantiate the absurd charges,” Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty's Secretary General, said in a statement.

“The egregious injustice that our colleagues and friends have experienced for more than two years is common to hundreds of human rights defenders in Turkey who spend their days either languishing in jail or living in constant fear of prosecution,” Naidoo added.

Amnesty International's Europe Director, Marie Struthers, also stated that prosecution call for jail term of up to 15 years for the six human rights defenders defies logic.

“The vindictive request by the State Prosecutor for jail terms of up to 15 years ignores the evidence and defies all logic.

“The terrorist allegations made against Taner, Idil and four others have been repeatedly disproven over the course of nine previous hearings and it is clear today, as it has been from the start, that the Istanbul 10 and Taner are on trial for nothing more than their human rights work. They must be acquitted,” she said.

Back on August 16, 2018, a court in Turkey ordered the release of Kilic from prison, more than a year after Ankara detained him over terror charges.

“Great news: The Istanbul court has ruled for the release of Amnesty Turkey Honorary Chair Taner Kilic!!!! Expecting his release by this evening. Celebrations will start then,” Andrew Gardner, Amnesty’s senior Turkey researcher, wrote on Twitter at the time.

Detained in the western Turkish city of Izmir in June 2017, Kilic was accused of having links to Gulen, whose movement Ankara has outlawed and branded as Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Turkish police forces detain 26 over Gulen links

Meanwhile, Turkish security forces have arrested more than two dozen people on suspicion of affiliation to FETO.

Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported that 21 suspects were detained in the southeastern province of Adana after provincial prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 26 people. A hunt for the remaining five suspects is underway.

ME