HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER IMPRISONED

Dear Chief Public Prosecutor,

I write to express my deep concern at the arrest and ongoing detention of the prominent human rights defender, Nimet Tanrıkulu, on November 30, 2024, who is currently held at Ankara’s Sincan women’s prison, accused of ‘’membership of a terrorist organization’’ as part of an investigation on which there is a secrecy order.

Amnesty International examined the questions Nimet Tanrıkulu was asked during interrogation, namely her historic travel, participation in civil society events relating to Kurdish human rights issues during the 2013/14 peace process, mobile phone signals from same base station as other individuals and witness statements, none of which could be considered on their own as constituting material links with an armed group.

Amnesty International is deeply concerned that Nimet Tanrıkulu is being maliciously investigated due to her human rights work. The authorities in Türkiye frequently misuse counter-terrorism investigations to silence those who defend human rights, and Nimet Tanrıkulu has herself faced such malicious investigations on at least two past occasions.

We call on you to request Nimet Tanrıkulu’s immediate release, unless prosecuting authorities are able to immediately provide an indictment that relies on unclassified material to demonstrate that she is guilty of an internationally recognizable offense.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]