COVID-19: IFJ and EFJ urge Turkish government not to discriminate against political prisoners

Sixteen human rigths and professional organisations urged Turkish Government not to discriminate against political prisoners in its forthcoming early parole bill.

Picture credit: Ozan Kose / AFP.

The Arrested Lawyers Initiative, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) , European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Foundation of Day of the Endangered Lawyers, Freemuse Association, International Association of People’s Lawyers, International Observatory of Human Rights, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Italian Federation for Human Rights, Lawyers for Lawyers, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens, Platform for Peace and Justice, Social Justice Advocacy Campaign, Open Dialogue Foundation, Media and Law Studies Association made a joint written statement to cal on the Government of Turkey to ensure that:

  • Release measures include and do not exempt the release of political prisoners, particularly lawyers, journalists, politicians, artists, judges and prosecutors, human rights defenders and and others arbitrarily detained during the purge under emergency measures (2016-2018);
  • Prisoners who are older, sick, disabled and with children are released first; and,
  • All releases take place on an urgent basis.

 

 

 

 

 

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The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 146 countries

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