HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY

That this House is extremely concerned about the ongoing crackdown on civil society and essential freedoms, specifically on human rights defenders, in Turkey, including the recent arrests of Amnesty International Turkey Chair, Taner Kilic, and Amnesty International Turkey Director, ldil Eser, along with nine other human rights defenders, also known as the Istanbul 10; fears that these arrests are politically motivated actions aimed at silencing the work of some of Turkey's most prominent human rights defenders given that the indictment fails to provide evidence to substantiate the charges it contains; notes that the 11 activists are accused of membership of a variety of armed terrorist organisations which carries a jail term of up to 15 years; further notes that these arrests are occurring within a context of a crackdown on human rights by the Turkish Government since the failed coup attempt in July 2016, which has seen thousands of detentions, arrests, the dismissal of journalists and shutting down of media outlets; and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Taner Kilic from pre-trial detention as well all charges to be dropped against ldil Eser, Taner Kilic and all human rights defenders imprisoned in Turkey in connection with their work.