The Chair & Director of Amnesty Turkey Jailed on False Allegations Involved with “Terrorist Organisations”
Whenever I hear the word ‘terrorist’ I know that it is a label and it will never be a word that problem solves conflict. When it is used in this case with those clearly defending human rights you can be sure it is a form of censure and demonisation. Words I am becoming more familiar with. We tarnish those we want to smear because they are considered a threat. Amnesty is clearly reporting abuses that the authorities do not like. Truth is a threat to those who are concealing away from the public interest. In this part of the world so many crimes against humanity, so many people suffering from the impacts of war and human rights abuses. There is a campaign being put together to help release the people illegally detained.
We do not go into our own discomfort or discord and take full responsibility, rather we blame those we think are the cause of our discomfort or feeling of threat. As a wise man said the key is not to feel good (have them arrested) but to get good at feeling (deal with inner abuses). This is the real world knocking on the door of those living in a illusion of power.
Here is a link to Peter Gabriel’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PeterGabriel/videos/vb.292910949759/10155150346054760/?type=2&theater (if you can’t find it just search on Facebook.
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/free-taner-and-idil
TELL TURKEY TO FREE TANER & İDIL
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The situation in Turkey is truly frightening. The Chair and Director of Amnesty Turkey have both been jailed on false allegations that they are involved with “terrorist organisations”. Many other human rights defenders are either detained or banned from travel as they await charges.
Tell Turkey’s Minister of Justice to put an end to this witch-hunt and to release Taner, İdil and all human rights defenders in Turkey.
Taner Kılıç, Chair of Amnesty Turkey, was detained in the early hours of 6 June along with 22 other lawyers on suspicion of involvement with the “terrorist organisation” Fethullah Gülen.
He has now been officially charged with membership of the organisation and remains in prison awaiting trial.
Shocking lack of evidence
The only claim that supposedly links Taner to the Gülen movement is that Bylock – a secure mobile messaging application that the authorities say was used by members of the terrorist group – was discovered on his phone in August 2014.
No evidence has been given to back this up and Taner denies ever having downloaded or used Bylock. In fact, he says he’d never even heard of it until its alleged use by the Gülen movement was widely spread in the media.
Taner is neither a supporter nor a follower of the Fethullah Gülen movement and has in fact been critical of its role in Turkey. He must not face trial on the basis of flimsy and inadequate accusations.
These charges have drawn widespread international condemnation, including from the US State Department, the EU and many international and domestic human rights organisations.
An honourable and principled man
Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:
“Taner Kılıç is a principled and passionate human rights defender. The charges brought against him today are completely without merit. They show just how arbitrary, just how sweeping, the Turkish government’s frenzied pursuit of its perceived enemies and critics has become. He must be released immediately and the charges against him dropped.”