As US President Donald Trump prepares to host Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House, Amnesty International USA’s Executive Director Margaret Huang said:
“While these two leaders sit and congratulate each other in the White House, the damage is mounting from their spiralling assaults on human rights.
“President Trump recently praised President Erdoğan for winning a referendum in which dissenting opinions were ruthlessly suppressed, and has been silent on Turkey’s alarming crackdown on the media, which has led to more than 120 journalists being jailed pending trial. This is a disturbing reflection of President Trump’s contempt for human rights – trampling the freedoms of journalists and protestors is no cause for celebration.
“The world is watching – this meeting is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the way that President Trump and President Erdoğan are contributing to a global climate of toxic and dehumanizing politics, and the grave deterioration of the human rights situation in Turkey.”
Background
Amnesty International recently launched the #FreeTurkeyMedia campaign to demand the release of over 120 journalists jailed in Turkey since last summer’s failed coup and has previously drawn scorn from Erdoğan for revealing credible evidence that some of those detained after the coup were beaten and tortured.
AIUSA recently published 100 ways Trump and his administration have attempted to violate human rights in his first 100 days as president.
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For media requests, please contact: Jacob Kuehn, Media Relations: jkuehn@amnesty.ca // 613-744-7667 x 236
