Turkey court releases Amnesty head Taner Kilic

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

A court in Istanbul has ordered the release of the head of human rights group Amnesty International in Turkey, who was detained last June.

Taner Kilic had been charged with membership of a terrorist organisation, an accusation the London-based group had described as "baseless".

The court ordered his release on bail. Ten other activists are also on trial.
...
Mr Kilic was accused of using an encrypted messaging application called Bylock that the Turkish government said was used by followers of the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42890224

---

Just a reminder of how totalitarian Turkey has become. The accusation of using a secure messaging app can land the wrong person in jail for months. A couple of days ago, they arrested 300 people for criticising their attack on Afrin in Syria. Including 8 members of the Turkish Medical Association, for saying killing people is bad, m'kay? How dare those doctors prefer people to be alive?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. Erdogan and his asshole supporters have really fucked things up. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Excellent. I signed the petition for his release.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Turkey court 'reverses release' of Amnesty head Taner Kilic

A Turkish court has reversed its decision to release from detention the local head of human rights group Amnesty International, the group says.
...
A prosecutor appealed against the decision, Amnesty said, and a second court accepted it. On Thursday, the first court accepted the second court's decision to continue his detention.

"This is the latest example of the crisis in Turkey's justice system that is ruining lives and hollowing out the right to a fair trial," Amnesty's Secretary General Salil Shetty said in a statement.
...
The next court hearing has been set for 21 June, the group added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42892643

So that'll be nearly a year in jail on a trumped-up charge.