Acquittal of Taner Kılıç after eight-year ordeal comes amid new wave of repression of rights defenders
The case of Taner Kılıç, who was finally acquitted today after a judicial process that has lasted almost 8 years, is a stark example of the Turkish authorities’ politically motivated attempts to criminalize human rights defenders, said Amnesty International.
Taner Kılıç, a refugee rights lawyer and former Chair of Amnesty International’s Türkiye section, was arrested in June 2017 and detained in prison for more than 14 months. Despite a complete absence of any credible evidence, in July 2020, he was convicted of “membership of a terrorist organisation” and sentenced to more than six years in prison. The end of the almost eight year ordeal for Taner Kılıç comes amid a new wave of detentions in which rights defenders, journalists, political activists and others have been targeted.
His acquittal follows the Court of Cassation’s rejection of the prosecution’s appeal against its previous decision to overturn Taner’s baseless conviction.
“Today, as we mark the end of Taner’s agonizing ordeal, our feelings are bittersweet. The cruelty inflicted on Taner – the years stolen from him and his family – can never be forgotten. His tenacity and resilience, coupled with our determination to undo this injustice, demonstrates that when we come together, we can move mountains,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General who spoke with Taner by video call today.
“For me this nightmare that has gone on for almost eight years is finally over. My imprisonment for more than a year has caused great trauma to my family. This unfair trial was like a sword of Damocles hanging not just over me but over the head of the entire human rights community in Türkiye. While it was for the prosecution to prove my guilt, this case went on for years despite my repeatedly proving my innocence,” said Taner Kılıç.
“The ordeal has created huge uncertainty in my life. The only thing I was sure of throughout this process was that I was right and innocent, and the support from all over the world gave me strength. I thank each and every one who stood up for me.”
In May 2022, the European Court of Human Rights reaffirmed that the authorities in Türkiye did not have “any reasonable suspicion that Taner Kılıç had committed an offence” when they remanded him in pre-trial detention for over 14 months in 2017/18. It found that his imprisonment on terrorism-related charges was “directly linked to his activity as a human rights defender”.
In November 2022, the Court of Cassation in Turkey ruled to overturn the conviction of Taner Kılıç on the grounds that the investigation was “incomplete”. The trial court agreed with the Court of Cassation ruling in June 2023, but the prosecutor appealed the decision, insisting that Taner Kılıç’s conviction should stand. With this latest and final decision, the Court of Cassation rejected the prosecution’s appeal, ending the ordeal for the human rights defender.
“Taner’s protracted prosecution is emblematic of how Turkish courts have been weaponized to silence critical voices and of the ongoing crackdown by Turkish authorities on rights and freedoms and those who defend them. The flagrant miscarriage of justice he was subjected to for so long is sadly just one of many. But we will take strength from Taner’s acquittal in our fight against the curtailing of human rights in Türkiye, and on behalf of those who refuse to be silenced by the authorities’ threats,” said Agnès Callamard.
The acquittal comes amid a crackdown in which more than 1,600 people have reportedly been investigated for their alleged links to the Peoples’ Democratic Congress, a platform for civil society organizations and political parties. Last week, at least 50 people were detained in several provinces and 30 among them unlawfully remanded in prison on ‘terrorism’ related allegations after being questioned about their peaceful activities dating from more than a decade ago.
Background
Taner Kılıç is a founding member of Amnesty International Türkiye. Over the last 20 years, he has played a crucial role in defending human rights as part of the organization and the wider human rights community in Türkiye.
