19 February 2021
Human Rights Defenders Cannot Be Silenced:
İHD Co-Chairperson Öztürk Türkdoğan Should Immediately Be Released!
İHD strongly condemns the arrest of its Co-Chairperson, Öztürk Türkdoğan, early in the morning and demands his immediate release.
İHD, which was established in the aftermath of the 12 September coup d’état, has been indiscriminately working to put an end to human rights violations for the last 35 years. The association has continuously worked to protect and promote human rights and freedoms in such trying times as 12 September, the 1990s and 28 February.
İHD’s Co-Chairperson Öztürk Türkdoğan, who was arrested today, works for human rights for all, endeavors to be the voice of the voiceless, to make the disregarded visible in line with İHD’s principles. Mr. Türkdoğan has never backed down in his fight to protect the rights and freedoms of all even in the most challenging times during which gross human rights violations were committed, during the curfews, failed coup attempt of 15 July and the state of emergency that was declared in its aftermath.
It is a well-known fact that İHD has always been subjected to various acts of repression, defamation, discrediting, and criminalization while it has simply been working to protect human rights. And such repression has increasingly been going on. Investigations and lawsuits have been initiated into İHD’s members and executives, they were imprisoned and forced to exile. 24 İHD members and executives have been murdered by unknown assailants since the association’s foundation.
The fact that İHD’s co-chairperson was arrested on grounds unknown to us is the latest chain of such repression against İHD. It is not surprising that his arrest coincides with a period during which violations of fundamental rights and freedoms are on the rise and attempts are being made to terminate freedom of expression. Moreover, the fact that his arrest came shortly after the Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu’s address before the Grand National Assembly of Turkey’s Plenary targeting the association and its co-chairperson is further problematic considering the newly announced Human Rights Action Plan.
For 35 years İHD has worked meticulously to stop human rights violations, to establish justice and genuine democracy in spite of all challenges and will keep on doing so under any circumstances.
Human Rights Association