Damascus has refused Ankara’s invitation to hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The Turkish government has hinted at reconciliation with Damascus, but officials in the Autonomous Region of North and East Syria said this would pave the way for Turkish occupation in parts of Syria.
Female protesters in Iran’s Evin Prison endure dire conditions. Atena Daemi, an Iranian human rights activist reported on the terrible conditions and rights violations in the prison.
An imprisoned Kurdish woman, Şadiye Manap, after 28 years behind bars in Turkey, immediately after qualifying for parole received an order for her arrest. Manap was given new charges of terrorist activity based on poetry, song lyrics and short stories she had written in prison.
In other news, calls for an investigation into Turkey’s alleged use of chemical weapons against Kurdish fighters continue. The International Association of Democratic Lawyers is the most recent group to join in demanding an inquiry. Top forensic medical expert Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı was jailed when she publically commented on alleged footage of banned chemical use, and academic Neşe Özgen claims Fincancı was imprisoned in order to silence her.
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