IHD Ağrı Branch Secretary Atty. Vural Kaya and our former Ağrı Provincial Representative Atty. Olcay Öztürk were taken into custody on 27 February 2018. After their statements regarding the accusation of “membership to armed illegal organisation against security and constitutional order of the state” in accordance with the Article 314 of Turkish Penal Code were taken, Atty. Vural Kaya was released on 1 March 2018 and Atty. Olcay Öztürk was arrested on the same day. The bill of indictment is yet to be prepared; therefore, no date for the next hearing has been determined yet.
Recently, there has been an increase in detentions and arrests against human rights defenders. Our friends have been exposed to oppressions due to their human rights advocacy, professional and peace-based activities.
As IHD, we would like to call on the authorities to abide by the protection of the rights and freedoms indicated in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and Constitution of the Republic of Turkey and demand our friends Vural Kaya and Olcay Öztürk unconditionally be released.
Oppressions against HRDs must be ended!