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Solidarity with our activist brothers and sisters in Turkey!
08-06-2009
15 of the 35 Turkish activists (including trade-unionists and World March of Women activists) who were taken into custody by the Turkish security forces on the 28th May are still in prison. The operation included the invasion of the KESK (Confederation of Public Employees’ trade-unions) and Egitim Sem Teachers’ trade-union (affiliated to KESK) offices, with the removal of various social movements’ working documents.
The legal process is being kept confidential: no formal accusation has been made and the accused do not yet know why they have been arrested. Of those who remain in prison, two are WMW members – Elif Akgul, ex-Teachers’ trade-union Women’s Secretary, and Yuskel Mutlu, retired teacher and member of the Human Rights Association and Turkish Assembly for Peace.
Many organisations around the world have already manifested their indignation with regards to these arrests, recognised as another attempt to criminalize social movements in the country. Among them, the World March of Women (WMW) publicly denounces this blatant violation of human rights, and demands:
- The immediate release of all those being held in prison;
- The end of repression against opposition movements, including the women’s movement, trade-unions and human rights associations.
All WMW National Coordinating Bodies and Participating Groups and allied movements are invited to personally deliver letters of repudiation of the illegal detention of these activists to the Turkish embassies and consulates in their countries during the week of the 8th – 12th June, as well as sending faxes to the Turkish authorities. Click to see their contacts, the model of letter of repudiation (to be faxed and/or delivered personally in English), the list of people who remain in prison and further information sent by the Turkish NCB.
The legal process is being kept confidential: no formal accusation has been made and the accused do not yet know why they have been arrested. Of those who remain in prison, two are WMW members – Elif Akgul, ex-Teachers’ trade-union Women’s Secretary, and Yuskel Mutlu, retired teacher and member of the Human Rights Association and Turkish Assembly for Peace.
Many organisations around the world have already manifested their indignation with regards to these arrests, recognised as another attempt to criminalize social movements in the country. Among them, the World March of Women (WMW) publicly denounces this blatant violation of human rights, and demands:
- The immediate release of all those being held in prison;
- The end of repression against opposition movements, including the women’s movement, trade-unions and human rights associations.
All WMW National Coordinating Bodies and Participating Groups and allied movements are invited to personally deliver letters of repudiation of the illegal detention of these activists to the Turkish embassies and consulates in their countries during the week of the 8th – 12th June, as well as sending faxes to the Turkish authorities. Click to see their contacts, the model of letter of repudiation (to be faxed and/or delivered personally in English), the list of people who remain in prison and further information sent by the Turkish NCB.
