· Salil Shetty to meet Mogherini ahead of her meeting with Turkey Minister
· Major public stunt will demand end to human rights crackdown
· Partners of two of the jailed activists available for interview in Brussels
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Salil Shetty, will urge High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini to urgently raise the issue of jailed human rights defenders – including Amnesty International’s Turkey Director and Chair, Idil Eser and Taner Kılıç – at her meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister tomorrow.
He will then join scores of activists at a protest where he will be available for interviews against a backdrop of giant figures representing human rights defenders who are victims of Turkey’s crackdown. The partners of two of the jailed activists, Swedish national Ali Gharavi, and German national, Peter Steudtner, will be with Mr Shetty and available for interview.
“Governments across the world have called for the release of human rights defenders in Turkey. I will press upon Federica Mogherini that she must do the same, and urgently raise the issue with Minister Çavuşoğlu when they meet in Brussels on Tuesday,” said Salil Shetty.
“Defending human rights is not a crime, but it is fast becoming one in Turkey. We only have a small window of opportunity to stop this now, before there’s no one left to stand up for what’s right.”
What: Amnesty International activists and partners will protest with giant figures of the human rights defenders who are victims of the crackdown, outside the European Council building where Federica Mogherini will meet with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, later the same day.
When: 10.00am – 25 July 2017
Where: Schuman Roundabout
Follow the FacebookLive event from 10.00am at – https://www.facebook.com/amnestyglobal/
Mr Shetty will also use the meeting with Ms Mogherini to raise concerns about Egypt’s human rights record ahead of the EU-Egypt Association Council meeting the same dayhttps://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/07/eu-egypts-dark-human-rights-record-must-not-be-swept-beneath-carpet/
For more information or to arrange for an interview, please contact Sue Montgomery, media relations for Amnesty International Canada, at 613-744-7667 ext. 236 or smontgomery@amnesty.ca
