16/08/2018 Monitoring
PACE monitoring rapporteurs for Turkey, Marianne Mikko (Estonia, SOC) and Nigel Evans (United Kingdom, EC), reacted to the release from pre-trial detention of Taner Kılıç, Honorary Chair of Amnesty International Turkey on 15 August 2018.
“We welcome this decision, which we had expected for over a year. We also reiterate our call to drop all the terror-related charges still pending against Mr Kılıç. Freedom of expression and assembly must be upheld in Turkey. Human rights activists, but also journalists, parliamentarians, academics or ordinary citizens must be free to express themselves without fear,” they added.
“We expect the Turkish justice system to release all those who are unjustly retained in pre-trial detention, conduct fair trials and render justice in compliance with the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights,” Ms Mikko and Mr Evans concluded.