Free Muharrem Erbey!

Copenhagen/Paris – 31 December 2009: On 24 December 2009, Muharrem Erbey, General Vice Chairperson of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Haklari  Derneği  –  İHD)  and Chairperson of its Diyarbakir Province Branch, who is involved in human rights activities, was arrested for belonging to an “illegal organization”, although the IHD section is officially registered as an association.

Following the arrest of M. Erbey, the police raided all offices of the IHD section in Diyarbakir - while the warrant first brought only mentioned the possibility to search M. Erbey’s premises. Besides this breach on the right to association of IHD Diyarbakir section members, the police almost confiscated all the association’s computer files and folders.

Muharrem Erbey recently made speeches on Kurdish issues in Turkey before the Belgian, Swedish and British parliaments; took part in the “Kurdish film festival” in Italy and participated in a Conference on the Constitution (Constitution Workshop – Anayasa Çalıştayı) organized by the local bar associations and the Democratic Congress Society. It seems therefore that his arrest is solely motivated by the wish to punish his human rights commitments.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the Euro-Mediterranean Federation Against Forced Disappearances (FEMED) is concerned about this repressive policy against its member organization, the Human Rights Association, and it recalls the case of Filiz Kalayci, an IHD board member, who is still detained.

They therefore calls upon the Turkish authorities to release Muharrem Erbey, and Ms Filiz Kalayci, and to put an end to the proceedings against him in the absence of any valid reason for it. In the event of a possible hearing of Muharrem Erbey, the EMHRN and the FEMED strongly urges the European Commission Delegation in Ankara and embassies of European Union member States to attend, in accordance with the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders.

The EMHRN and the FEMED is also concerned by the fact that it seems still impossible to discuss the Kurdish issue in Turkey. They thus urge the Turkish authorities to implement immediately international standards related to the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of association in Turkey.