European Parliament President calls for release of Amnesty Turkey Director
Spokespeople available
Ahead of the 19-20 October European Council meeting, which is expected to issue conclusions on Turkey, Iverna McGowan, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, said:
“EU leaders must publicly condemn the brutal and protracted crackdown on human rights defenders and journalists in Turkey, and stand firmly on the side of human rights. They must call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those wrongfully imprisoned in Turkey, including our colleagues.”
Amnesty International yesterday held a birthday party for its Turkey Director Idil Eser in the European Parliament. This was joined by a number of MEPs, including the Chair of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights Antonio Panzeri and the European Parliament President Antonio Tajani who both called for her release.
“Idil has spent her birthday behind bars, where she has been for more than 100 days now, and where she could face spending 15 years on trumped up charges of ‘membership of a terrorist organization’. The grave injustices done to her and other human rights defenders in Turkey cannot be ignored by European leaders,” said Iverna McGowan.
