Paris, 4th of November 2016
The European Grassroots Antiracist Movement – EGAM strongly denounces the arrest of HDP leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag and HDP MPs, and asks for their immediate release
These arrests are an unacceptable breach in the Rule of Law, a political pressure on the pro-democracy movement, and the continuation of the oppression against the Kurdish movement.
EGAM is just back from South-East Turkey, Diyarbakir and the Turkish Kurdistan, where we led an international fact-finding mission along with the Elie Wiesel Network of Parliamentarians. We witnessed unbearable violence and oppression against the civilians, civil society and political opponents. The arrests of this morning are the continuation of this undemocratic and illegitimate crackdown.
In the coming days EGAM will release the report of this international fact-finding mission.
We call on the international community, especially the European Union and the European countries, to pressure Turkey to put an end to the totalitarian trend of Erdogan which is currently taking place, and which has consequences not only for the democrats in Turkey, but also for the whole society and the entire region.
EGAM calls for the immediate release of Selahattin Demirtas, Figen Yuksekdag and HDP MPs, as well as all imprisoned academics, journalists, lawyers, judges, teachers, …