Detained human rights activists face charges in Istanbul

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ten human rights activists are appearing before a court in Istanbul to face possible charges, The Associated Press reports.

The activists, including Amnesty International’s Turkey director Idil Eser, were detained earlier this month in a police raid on a hotel where they were attending a workshop on digital security. They were being questioned by court officials on Monday, July 17.

Amnesty said the group was being investigated for membership in an armed terrorist organization.

Turkey has launched a massive crackdown since last year’s failed coup, arresting some 50,000 people and dismissing more than 100,000 from government jobs. The crackdown initially focused on people with suspected ties to the alleged coup plotters, but has been extended to include other government opponents.

Last month Amnesty’s Turkey chair, Taner Kilic, was arrested on terror-related charges.