TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

RELEASE ARBITRARILY IMPRISONED ACTIVIST

Türkiye UA 78.25

Human rights defender Enes Hocaoğulları was placed in arbitrary pre-trial detention on August 5 after being detained at Ankara Esenboğa Airport upon his return to Türkiye from a Council of Europe conference in Strasbourg. He is charged with ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ and ‘inciting the public to hatred and enmity’ under an indictment dated August 8. The charges are based solely on a short speech he delivered on March 27 at the 48th session of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, where he spoke about rights violations during mass protests following the detention the Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in the previous week. He must be immediately and unconditionally released. No one should be prosecuted for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and speaking out against human rights violations.

Urge Mr. Gökhan Karaköse Ankara, Chief Public Prosecutor, to immediately and unconditionally release Enes Hocaoğulları - send your email using our email-writing tool.

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Chief Public Prosecutor

Gökhan

Karaköse Ankar

Turkish Chief Public Prosecutor

Dear Mr. Gökhan Karaköse,

I am writing to express my deep concern over the arbitrary detention of human rights defender Enes Hocaoğulları, who has been held in pre-trial detention since August 5, following his arrest at Ankara Esenboğa Airport upon returning to Türkiye.

Enes Hocaoğulları participated in a Council of Europe conference as a youth delegate from Türkiye, where he delivered a short speech highlighting human rights violations that occurred during the mass protests following the detention of the Mayor of Istanbul on March 19. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have documented serious violations during these protests, including excessive use of force by police, unlawful use of less lethal weapons against peaceful protesters, and threats of sexual violence in custody.

The comments contained in Enes Hocaoğulları’s speech are protected under Türkiye’s domestic laws, as well as the international human rights law and standards codified in treaties to which Türkiye is a party. Furthermore, Türkiye has an obligation to protect human rights defenders from arbitrary and abusive investigations, prosecutions, and detention.

I urge you to ensure that Enes Hocaoğulları is released immediately and unconditionally.

Yours sincerely,

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