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Detention of human rights defenders extended for another 7 days

The detention of a group of human rights defenders who were taken into custody last Wednesday during a workshop at a hotel on İstanbul’s Büyükada has been extended for another seven days, the Cumhuriyet daily reported on Tuesday.

The human rights activists, who have been under detention since July 5 and would have remained in custody for only seven days, will be held for another week.

The activists are accused of membership in a terrorist organization.

They are also accused by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and pro-government mediaof plotting a follow-up to a July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

According to the report, the houses of the detained activists were raided and three books, including a book by renowned Turkish author EceTemelkuran, CDs on women’s studies, SIM cards, two old mobile phones and digital materials were seized in the house of İlknurÜstün from the Women’s Coalition.

Those under detention are İdilEser from Amnesty International (AI), İlknurÜstün from the Women’s Coalition, lawyer GünalKurşun from the Human Rights Agenda Association, lawyer NalanErkem from the Citizens Assembly, Nejat Taştan from the Equal Rights Watch Association, ÖzlemDalkıran from the Citizens’ Assembly, lawyer ŞeyhmuzÖzbekli and VeliAcu from the Human Rights Agenda Association.

Two foreign trainers — a German and a Swedish national — as well as the hotel owner, who was later released, were also detained.

 

 

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