Marianne Mikko and Nigel Evans, co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee for monitoring Turkey, are concerned about the detention of human rights defenders in Turkey on Wednesday.

“This is a devastating signal about the situation of human rights in Turkey. The detained human rights defenders must be released immediately,” Vice-President of the PACE and head of the Estonian delegation to the PACE Marianne Mikko said.

“After the last PACE report in April, there have been no signs of the development of democracy in Turkey, but there have been more arrests. This trend seems to be like a force majeure in moving away from democracy,” Mikko added.

On 5 July, ten defenders of human rights, including head of Amnesty International Turkey İdil Eser, were arrested during a training seminar on human rights in Istanbul.

For further information please contact: Marianne Mikko, +372 5646 3614

Riigikogu Press Service
Kati Varblane
Phone: +372 631 6353, +372 51 69 152
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