Former Amnesty Turkey leaders convicted on terror charges

By Dilip -
An Istanbul court on Friday convicted two former leaders of Amnesty International’s Turkish branch on terror charges, the rights group said, alongside two other human rights defenders. Idil Eser, former Amnesty Turkey director, was among three people sentenced to one year and thirteen months for “helping a terrorist organisation”.

Ex-Amnesty International Turkey chair Taner Kiliç was sentenced to six years and three months for “membership of a terrorist organisation”, Amnesty Turkey said on Twitter. The court acquitted seven other activists including Peter Steudtner, a German citizen, and Ali Gharavi, who is Swedish. 

“This is an outrage. Absurd allegations. No evidence. After three-year trial Taner Kiliç convicted for membership of a terrorist organisation,” Amnesty’s Andrew Gardner tweeted. “The torment continues. We won’t give up until all are acquitted,” Gardner added. The activists had been accused of seeking to wreak “chaos in society” – a similar charge to the one brought against protesters whose anti-government demonstrations in the summer of 2013 shook Turkey....
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/03/former-amnesty-turkey-leaders-convicted-on-terror-charges

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