Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Turkey of abusing anti-terror laws after an Istanbul court ordered the pre-trial detention of nine human rights lawyers.
The lawyers were among 12 arrested last week during early morning raids.
HRW claims that Turkey's 'overbroad' anti-terrorism laws have been used more widely to charge for non-violent political activities and legitimate exercise of rights, with charges often accompanied by prlonged pretrial detention.
Emma Sinclair-Webb, senior Turkey researcher at Human Rights Watch said:
“Police raids against lawyers at 4 a.m., their arrest and imprisonment are part of a wider clampdown on those who oppose the government. What makes the latest arrests particularly disturbing is that these lawyers are well-known for acting on behalf of those whose rights have been violated by the state.”
See here for full HRW press release.