Europe Newsletter August 2025

September 2, 2025 by zarganar

Türkiye

Ahmad Aabo; Good news

On 8 August I sent you an Urgent Action concerning Syrian asylum seeker Ahmad Aabo, who has lived in Türkiye since 2012, but had his temporary protection status revoked in 2023 after being diagnosed with HIV and assigned a security code on grounds that ‘he carries a communicable disease’.

In 2024, Ahmad Aabo was detained in two separate deportation centres in Istanbul and Adana for six months and faced the threat of being returned to Syria. He reported cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment while in detention. In October 2024, he was released from detention after the removal of the security code and lifting of the deportation order, but his temporary protection status was not restored. After his release, he lived in constant fear of being detained again. In May 2025, he was again detained and placed at the Arnavutköy deportation centre for three days after a random police ID check in the street.

Following the Amnesty International’s urgent action published on 4 August 2025, Ahmad Aabo was invited to the office of the Istanbul Migration Management Directorate on 26 August, where his temporary protection status was restored and an ID card was issued for him. As a result of this, his access to free healthcare was also restored after the social security was reactivated. After almost two years of living in uncertainty, the positive impact of the urgent action on the Presidency of Migration Management is very clear.

Speaking to Amnesty International, Ahmad Aabo said:

“The urgent action appeal helped me breathe again. I want to send my sincere gratitude to everyone. Simply because of my HIV+ status, I endured persecution, I was detained. I feared being detained every time I saw a police officer. I have my ID card again, I regained my rights. This is the impact of the urgent action. Thanking you is not enough. I wish that no one goes through what I have been through. HIV is not an illness. People living with HIV should be supported. They should not endure torture. I thank all those who signed appeals for me, all those who stood by me from the bottom of my heart.”

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS ON BEHALF OF AHMAD [Read more…]

Europe Newsletter June 2025

June 5, 2025 by zarganar

Refugee week this year will be even more important than ever. We need to do all we can to roll back the tide of misinformation, scapegoating, hate speech and hostility. Please let us know about events you are organising in your communities so that we can share ideas and support each other across the country. And as always we are happy to give talks, on-line and in person. Kind regards Ulrike and the Amnesty Europe country coordinators team.

Refugee Week 2025

by Ulrike Schmidt

Fuelled by the hateful rhetoric of Trump, Farage and far right leaders across Europe refugees fleeing war, violence and persecution are confronted with increasing hostility in most European countries and even deadlier routes.

Migration has become a deeply polarising issue, often framed through opposing political ideologies. This divisive discourse serves as a harmful and dehumanising tool, reinforcing the “othering” of people on the move. As political groups and governments continue to weaponize migration to further their agendas, those most affected by increasingly hostile policies are left in precarious and vulnerable situations.

It must be our role as Human Rights defenders to challenge the scapegoating of refugees and migrants on every step. Refugees and migrants are not the cause of the housing crisis, the selling off and halt in building council housing is. Refugees and migrants are often working in the NHS, they are not responsible for long waiting lists, cuts in funding are. Cuts in education budgets are responsible for large class sizes, in fact in London many schools are closed due to declining pupil numbers; instead of enhancing education by teaching smaller groups schools are amalgamated or shut and pupils shoved into large classes.

Refugee Week gives us the opportunity to organise events celebrating the contributions refugees are making to society at large and our communities and to challenge the hateful rhetoric from populists, far right and some of our political leaders. Refugees Welcome ! Seeking Asylum is a Human Right !

Hayward Heath group are organising a film event for 20. June, International Refugee day. Watford group are organising a screening of “Green Border “ for the 19^th of July. I am involved in organising 2 very different events : an evening based on film and talk at Kensington North Library and a celebration with music and poetry in Walthamstow.

Amnesty International Refugee Week at Kensington North Library

Thursday 19^th June 6-8pm Refugees Welcome !

Join us for an evening of discussion and celebration.

We are celebrating the many contributions migrants and refugees are making to our communities, working in the NHS and many other parts of public service. We are going to show how European institutions are undermining human rights to fortify Fortress Europe, in Poland, Greece , Italy , UK … And we are celebrating how ordinary people are showing humanity, compassion and solidarity.

We are featuring the photo exhibition

‘Scars and solidarity’ by Chiara Fabbro, the short film Dover 82 with Aria Danaparamita, and Amnesty International country coordinators Lucja Jastrzebska and Ulrike Schmidt.

The event is free but space is limited : please book your place on Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/refugee-week-with-amnesty-international-tickets-1377221619939?aff=oddtdtcreator

Updates from Fortress Europe

And for a celebratory fundraiser for Care4Calais with life-music, poetry and cakes join No-0ne is a Stranger in Walthamstow. Organised by Stand up to Racism, Love Music hate Racism and Care4Calais. I will be contributing the talk on Pylos and the deadly effects of Fortress Europe.

Background : in 2023 over 117 million people were forcibly displaced world-wide : 3 out of 4 refugees are hosted in low and middle income countries near their countries of origin. 75% of displaced people globally are from just 20 countries featured on the IRC’s latest Emergency Watchlist, which highlights the places at greatest risk of facing deteriorating humanitarian emergencies this year. However, the vast majority of people forced from their homes remain in their own region , and just a tiny fraction seek to reach protection in Europe. Still, EU states have consistently failed to reach an agreement on how to deal with people seeking safety on its territory, resulting in political polarisation and immense suffering and human rights violations at Europe’s borders. (figures from Rescue.org/EU). [Read more…]

Europe Newsletter April/May 2025

April 25, 2025 by zarganar

Human Rights, Justice and Equality are under attack across Europe. This month it has been the Polish government suspending the right to asylum, Hungary further cracking down on LGBT communities by banning Pride, and brutal repression against people claiming the right to protest in Turkiye. The Mayor of Istanbul has been imprisoned. On 8^th of April we celebrated International Roma Day, but just shortly after Amnesty and the European Roma Rights Centre released a new report on how discrimination in education persists in Slovakia, despite years of campaigning.

Hungary

Urgent Action Let Pride march in Hungary

Budapest Pride is under threat. A new law banning assemblies that support LGBTI rights is a direct attack on LGBTI people, their allies, and the right to protest. Pride is a peaceful demonstration of equality and justice. The Hungarian authorities must ensure LGBTI people can march freely and demand their rights peacefully, free from intimidation, harassment or violence. 

Since 2010, Hungary has witnessed a marked deterioration in the rights and freedoms of its LGBTI community, largely driven by a series of laws and governmental actions aimed at limiting LGBTI visibility and expression. One of the most significant legislative moves was the introduction of the ‘Propaganda Law’ (Act LXXIX of 2021), which severely restricts the depiction of LGBTI identities in public life, including in educational materials, media, and advertisements.

The law was passed under the pretext of protecting children from content considered harmful to their “moral development.” However, its broad and vague language has resulted in far-reaching consequences, effectively banning content related to homosexuality, gender identity, and sexual reassignment. This has led to the widespread censorship of books, films, and other public resources featuring LGBTI themes, effectively removing LGBTI-inclusive materials from schools, bookstores, and public platforms.

These actions have severely limited access to information for both LGBTI individuals and the general public. The legal and societal crackdown initiated by this law has had devastating effects on the LGBTI community in Hungary, contributing to an atmosphere of fear and repression. Restrictions on public gatherings, the censorship of media and educational materials, and the stigmatization of LGBTI individuals have led to increasing isolation, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI people.

Please sign and share the petition !

https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/let-pride-march-in-hungary/.

Slovakia

Romani Children Face Entrenched Discrimination As School Segregation Persists

Bratislava, Brussels 16 April 2025: Ten years after the EU launched an infringement procedure against Slovakia for breaching the EU Race Equality Directive, Romani children still face entrenched discrimination in education. In a new report released today, Amnesty International and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), condemn the “widespread and growing racial division in education”, and call on the Slovak government to take urgent and systemic action to end segregation in its schools.

The briefing report, Separate & Unequal: School Segregation Persists for Roma in Slovakia, takes stock of legislative and policy responses following the European Commission’s referral of Slovakia to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in April 2023 but finds these measures insufficient to address systemic practices of segregation. Legislative reforms, including amendments to the School Act, lack the enforceability and clarity needed to address entrenched disparities. [Read more…]

Türkiye: Acquittal of Taner Kılıç

February 28, 2025 by zarganar

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.

Europe Newsletter February 2025

February 23, 2025 by zarganar

Human Rights are under threat even more than before but sometimes there are some good news: Our Europe country coordinator team has been enriched by our newest member : little Petar, born just before Christmas to our wonderful Western Europe coordinator Jovana.

There is also some good news from Turkiye : three of the GEZI defendants have been acquitted. And in Greece court proceedings into the action of the Greek coastguard regarding the deaths of over 600 people are slowly progressing. Campaigning works, but Greek civil society who are pushing for justice for the victims of the Pylos shipwreck need our solidarity. I will be back with proposed actions soon. A new report into surveillance and suppression of civil society in Serbia makes disturbing reading, and I am in conversation with the International Secretariat on campaigning guidelines.

And most importantly, please take Urgent Action for Nimet Tanrikulu who has been imprisoned on baseless accusations.

Turkiye

by Chris Ramsey

Urgent Action Nimet Tanrıkulu

There is a revised Urgent Action, calling for the release of human rights defender Nimet Tanrıkulu.

The update is because Nimet’s prosecution was transferred from Ankara to Istanbul although she is still being held in Ankara’s Sincan prison. The first hearing in her trial will take place on 4 March 2025 at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 24.

On 26 November, prominent human rights defender Nimet Tanrıkulu was detained from her home by the police in Istanbul. After a short period of detention at a police station, she was transferred to the anti-terrorism branch of the Ankara Security Directorate. Following four days in police custody, Nimet Tanrıkulu was remanded in pre-trial detention on 30 November, accused of “membership to a terrorist organization”.

She is still held at Ankara’s Sincan women’s prison. Amnesty International believes that her detention on what appear to be baseless accusations is arbitrary, and she should be released immediately.

Gezi Prisoners of Conscience

at last some good news!

The acquittal of three Gezi defendants on 11 February brings one part of a chronicle of injustice to an end 

Three defendants in the Gezi Park trial have been acquitted after a retrial following the Court of Cassation’s decision to overturn their previous 18-year prison sentences. Mücella Yapıcı, Ali Hakan Altınay, and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi (who was not part of the original Gezi 7) were acquitted today by the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court due to lack of evidence.

The defendants were not present in court, but their attorneys attended the hearing. Necla Saadet Durdu, representing the General Directorate of Security, was also present.

In his final opinion, the prosecutor stated that there was no clear, concrete, or material evidence proving the defendants committed the alleged crime, and therefore recommended acquittal. The defence lawyers supported this assessment and asked for a ruling in line with the prosecutor’s opinion.

The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict Yapıcı, Altınay, and Ekmekçi on charges of “attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey or obstruct its functions.” The panel concluded that the defendants should be acquitted on the grounds that no definitive and legally admissible evidence was found.

Reacting to the acquittal at the retrial of Gezi PoCs Mücella Yapıcı, Hakan Altınay (and Yiğit Ekmekçi), whose initial convictions and 18-year prison sentences in connection with mass protests in 2013 were overturned by the Court of Cassation in September 2023, Milena Buyum, Amnesty International’s Senior Türkiye Campaigner, said:

“Today’s decision brings an end to the politically motivated prosecution of Mücella Yapıcı, Hakan Altınay and Yiğit Ekmekçi, and the chronicle of injustice they have suffered. Over the course of more than seven years, prosecuting authorities repeatedly failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate the baseless charges laid against them. They should never have been subjected to any charges, let alone spent any time in prison.

“Their unfair prosecution – and that of the other five Gezi Park defendants – not only resulted in grave violations of their rights, but also became a shameful example of the way in which Türkiye’s justice system is used as a tool of political repression.

“Their acquittals must now be followed by the immediate release of Osman Kavala and the other four Gezi prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars.”

Speaking to Amnesty International, Mücella Yapıcı said: “It is very hard to feel happy when all the others are still behind bars. Why are they still imprisoned when they are as innocent as us? I want to thank everyone who stood by us and supported us during this thoroughly unfair prosecution.” [Read more…]