Rights groups urge Turkey to free jailed activists amid pandemic

Human rights organizations have called for the urgent release of political activists jailed in Turkey, citing the risk they run of contracting the new coronavirus.

According to Press TV, Amnesty International and 25 other organizations urged Turkish authorities on Monday to release jailed journalists and activists as part of a bill under consideration to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the country, and its jails in particular.

Earlier this month, Turkey introduced a law that would pave the way for the release of nearly 100,000 prisoners, accounting for nearly one-third of Turkey’s prison population, amid the deadly virus pandemic.

But the rights groups said political prisoners might be left in detention under that bill.

“We remain concerned that journalists, human rights defenders and others imprisoned for simply exercising their rights, and others who should be released, will remain behind bars in the package of measures as currently conceived by the government,” the groups said in a joint statement.

“The undersigned organizations call on the Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalists, human rights defenders and others who have been charged or convicted simply for exercising their rights,” they added.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to the 2016 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Many more, including military staff, civil servants, and journalists, have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.

ME