Category Archives: Freedom of Expression

Amnesty: Indictment Rejected but Barbaros Şansal Still Held

Posted on February 8, 2017 by heissenstat

Amnesty International issued an updated urgent action in the case of  fashion designer and LGBTI activist Barbaros Şansal.   “Şansal remains in pre-trial detention since 3 January for allegedly ‘inciting the public to hatred or hostility’, despite a court rejecting the … Continue reading →

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Amnesty issues report on displacement of hundreds of thousands in Turkey

Posted on December 5, 2016 by heissenstat

  Amnesty International has just issued an extensive and deeply researched 31 page report detailing “the desperate  plight of families forced out of the historical centre of Diyarbakir” through massive security operations and round-the-clock curfews.  “Homes in the once-bustling district have been … Continue reading →

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Amnesty: HDP deputies detained amid growing onslaught on Kurdish opposition voices

Posted on November 4, 2016 by heissenstat

The detention of 12 deputies from the Kurdish-rooted leftist Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) since last night marks the latest escalation in the onslaught on dissent amid Turkey’s state of emergency, Amnesty International said today. The detentions – on a range … Continue reading →

Posted in Due Process, Erdogan, Freedom of Association, Freedom of Expression, Kurds, Minorities, Turkey, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Amnesty: HDP deputies detained amid growing onslaught on Kurdish opposition voices

Amnesty: Intensified crackdown on media increases atmosphere of fear

Posted on July 28, 2016 by heissenstat

[The following is a repost of Amnesty’s press release of 28 July 2016] As Turkey enters its second week of a three month state of emergency, the ongoing crackdown on civil society and the assault on media freedom has reached … Continue reading →

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Amnesty on State of Emergency in Turkey

Posted on July 22, 2016 by heissenstat

Amnesty International issued a press release yesterday, July 21, on the newly declared State of Emergency in Turkey.   The text is below: President Erdogan’s announcement of the imposition of a state of emergency must not pave the way for a … Continue reading →

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Amnesty: Turkey’s escalating abuses risk return to dark days of 1990s

Posted on July 5, 2016 by heissenstat

The message of Amnesty’s latest statement on abuses in Turkey’s on-going operations in south eastern Turkey could hardly have been clearer.  Things are getting much, much worse, with  “growing evidence of severe human rights violations, including torture and impunity for human … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Anti-terrorism, Excessive Force, Freedom of Expression, Impunity, Kurds, Military, Minorities, Terrorism, Torture, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty: Turkey’s escalating abuses risk return to dark days of 1990s

Condolence Book for Tahir Elçi

Posted on April 13, 2016 by heissenstat

Human rights lawyer/defender Tahir Elçi was shot dead in Diyarbakir on 28 November 2015. You may recall that Amnesty International organised a public meeting to pay tribute to him in January, attended by his wife, Turkan  Elçi, and one of … Continue reading →

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With President Erdogan in Washington, Amnesty Plans Rally to Protest Abuses [Updated]

Posted on March 29, 2016 by heissenstat

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is in Washington DC for the next few days as part of Nuclear Security Summit.  Please join Amnesty International’s rally to protest continuing human rights abuses in Turkey this Thursday, March 31. Time: 11:30 am Where: … Continue reading →

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In Turkey, freedom of expression early casualty of “anti-terror” campaign

Posted on March 25, 2016 by heissenstat

Turkey has suffered from a series of horrendous attacks in recent months.  The security challenges it faces are very real.  Unfortunately, the rhetoric coming out of Ankara suggests that, under the umbrella of fighting terrorism, the most basic civil liberties … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Anti-terrorism, Cumhuriyet, Erdogan, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press, Press Freedom, Terrorism, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on In Turkey, freedom of expression early casualty of “anti-terror” campaign

Amnesty International condemns take-over of newspaper

Posted on March 4, 2016 by heissenstat

In a sharply-worded response, Amnesty International described today’s take-over of Zaman newspaper  by court-appointed trustees as “the latest deeply troubling episode in the Turkish authorities’ ongoing onslaught on dissenting media.” “By lashing out and seeking to rein in critical voices, … Continue reading →

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