Urgent Action: Istanbul Vigils Must be Allowed to Take Place (Turkey: UA 162.18)

On 25 August, police in Istanbul used unnecessary and excessive force to disperse people taking part in a longstanding weekly peaceful vigil. The authorities must ensure that future vigils, including the next one planned for 1 September, are allowed to take place.

1) TAKE ACTION
Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:

• The Ministry of Interior to ensure that future planned vigils can go ahead without any unlawful restrictions and that vigil participants can exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly;
• The Ministry of Justice to conduct a prompt, impartial, independent and effective investigation into allegations of unnecessary and excessive use of force and ill-treatment committed by police officers on 25 August against vigil participants and bring all those found to be responsible to justice in proceedings that meet fair trial standards.

Contact these two officials by 10 October, 2018:
Minister of Interior
Mr. Süleyman Soylu
İçişleri Bakanlığı
Bakanlıklar
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 418 1795
Salutation: Dear Minister

Ambassador Serdar Kiliç
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
2525 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008
Phone: 1 202 612 6700 OR 202 612 6701
Fax: 1 202 612 6744 
Email: [email protected]
Contact Form:
http://washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/Contact
Twitter: @SerdarKilic9 @TurkishEmbassy
Salutation: Dear Ambassador

2) LET US KNOW YOU TOOK ACTION
Click here to let us know if you took action on this case! This is Urgent Action 162.18.
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