The newspaper's grant holder Kemal Sancılı, managing editor İnan Kızılkaya and attorney Eren Keskin have been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization." They remain at liberty pending their appeals
Responding to the conviction and sentencing of veteran human rights lawyer, Eren Keskin to six years in jail on absurd grounds of ‘membership of an armed terrorist organization’, Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum, said:
“Today a human rights lawyer who has spoken out against injustice for more than three decades, has become the victim of injustice herself.
“Eren Keskin has dedicated her life to defending the rights of women, prisoners and fought for justice for the families of the disappeared. This verdict is yet another shocking example of anti-terrorism laws being used to criminalize legitimate, peaceful activities.
“’I have been prosecuted many times and jailed for my thoughts. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere,’ Eren Keskin tweeted after she was sentenced.
“We are not going anywhere either.”
Background
Eren Keskin is a prominent human rights defender and lawyer in Turkey. She is the Co-Chair of the Human Rights Association (İHD).
Today, four defendants in the case concerning Özgür Gündem, a daily newspaper that was shuttered in 2016, received prison sentences on "terrorism-related" charges.
The court sentenced Zana Kaya, the newspaper's editor-in-chief to one year and 13 months in prison for "making propaganda for a terrorist organization."
The newspaper's grant holder Kemal Sancılı, managing editor İnan Kızılkaya and attorney Eren Keskin have been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization." They remain at liberty pending their appeals.
