RELEASE IHD MALATYA BRANCH CHAIRPERSON GÖNÜL ÖZTÜRKOĞLU NOW
IHD’s Malatya Branch Chairperson, human rights defender Gönül Öztürkoğlu was taken into custody following a raid to her home on 27 November 2018. Officials stated that the investigation was confidential. Yet we do know that continuous arrest and detention operations have still been conducted against social dissidence, particularly following the declaration of state of emergency, and the aim is to scare and intimidate the society through such operations. Officers will most likely ask Ms. Öztürkoğlu about the press conferences she attended and her social media posts, if there are any. The right to peaceful assembly and association along with the right to freedom of speech are virtually destroyed through such operations and everyone risks facing terrorism allegations in the country.
We demand that Malatya Public Prosecutor’s Office release our colleague without delay and act in accordance with the provisions set forth in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
Human Rights Association