The Human Rights Association (İHD) has demanded the release of detained members of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), claiming their detention is an example of the suppression of the opposition in Turkey.
According to a report by the Mesopotamia Agency, the İHD made a statement on the detention of 47 people, including ESP co-chair Özlem Gümüştaş and ETHA news agency reporter Pınar Gayıp. In the statement, the İHD demanded the detainees be released before their rights were violated any further.
Continuation of oppression
The İHD stated: “The oppression policy against political and social opposition in Turkey continues via the judicial system. ESP is a legal political party and its executives are people who can testify on call. It is also obvious that the detainees, including lawyers, press members, artists and party members are people who can testify on call. Code of Criminal Procedure (CMK) article 145 was not implemented and raids and long-term detentions are violations of personal freedom”.
What happened?
Police led operations against the ESP Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) in İstanbul, İzmir and Diyarbakır (Amed) on the evening of 14 January.
Police also raided ESP Central Office in Ankara and party buildings in İzmir and İstanbul. Etkin News Agency (ETHA) İstanbul branch and the Science, Education, Aesthetics, Culture-Art Research Foundation (BEKSAV) were among the places raided by police.
Forty-eight people were detained as a result of the operations.
