Via Mülteci-Der – The refugee rights organization Mültecilerle Dayanışma Derneği (Mülteci-Der) has issued a statement today demanding the termination of the detention of human rights lawyer Taner Kılıç, founder and former chairman of the NGO and current chair of Amnesty Turkey. We post the statement below. It was originally published on Mülteci-Der’s homepage.

Press Release: Our founding member and former president, human rights defender, lawyer Taner Kılıç is in custody!

Lawyer Taner Kılıç, the founder and the previous chairman of our association, is in custody.

Taner Kılıç, as one of the pioneers of human rights movement in Turkey, has been a member and supporter of several human rights organizations. He has dedicated his life and his profession to the advancement of human rights movement and has been instrumental in the progress of the field of refugee law as a lawyer and as a member and the chairman of our association.

The detention of Lawyer Kılıç, who has devoted his life to his country and to human rights movement, has been received with great distress and shock by our association and our members. We ask for Lawyer Kılıç’s clearance from the charges laid upon him and the termination of his ongoing detention. We, hereby, share our deep sadness and request for Lawyer Kılıç’s freedom with the public and the press.

Mültecilerle Dayanışma Derneği

07.06.2017