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07 June 2017

Turkish lawyer Taner Kilic, founder and president of Amnesty International in Turkey, has been arrested at his home in Izmir, on the country's Aegean coast. The arrest warrant concerns a total of 23 lawyers, at least 18 of whom are already in prison. All are accused of having links with the subversive organization headed by Fetullah Gulen, an imam and financier residing in the US since 1999 and considered by the government to be the brainchild of the failed coup last July 15 against Erdogan.

Amnesty: "Release Kilic"
"The fact that the purge after the attempted coup has reached even the president of Amnesty International shows how far the Turkish government has gone. The story of Taner Kiliç is clear: it is that of a man who has always defended those freedoms that the Ankara authorities are trying to cancel, "said Salil Shetty, general secretary of Amnesty International. "In the absence of any credible and admissible evidence of their involvement in crimes recognized by international law, we ask the Turkish authorities to immediately release Taner Kiliç and the other 22 lawyers and to cancel any charges against them," added Shetty. 

A life for human rights in Turkey
Taner Kiliç has served on the board of Amnesty International Turkey for various periods of time since 2002 and was elected president in 2014. Over decades of human rights work in the field of Turkish human rights organizations, has always been recognized for the relentless commitment to human rights.

The arrest took place in his home at 6.30 am, just before he went to work. Both the home and the studio were searched. He is currently in a police station in the Yesilyurt neighborhood. At the moment, Taner Kiliç's arrest does not appear to be related to the action of Amnesty International or to have the association as its objective. The arrest warrant refers to an investigation into alleged members of the so-called "Fethullah Gülen terrorist organization" but it is not even clear whether Taner Kiliç is suspected of having such links.

Involved in the Del Grande
Kilic affair, as well as for his commitment in the field of human rights, he is known in Italy for following the case of our compatriot Gabriele Delgrande, who was arrested last April on the Syrian border and repatriated to Italy after 14 days.