ISTANBUL — A court in Istanbul on Wednesday ordered eight human rights activists released from prison pending the outcome of their trial on charges of belonging to and aiding terror groups.
The defendants, including Amnesty International Turkey director Idil Eser, German citizen Peter Steudtner and Swede Ali Gharavi, were detained in a police raid while attending a digital security training workshop in July. Their cases have heightened concerns of an authoritarian turn under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The court ruled on the trial’s opening day to free eight of the 10 activists being tried at least until the proceedings end. The other two had been let out of custody.
An 11th activist, Amnesty’s Turkey chairman, is being tried separately in another city and remains jailed.
The 10 defendants have been charged with plotting an uprising and aiding Kurdish and left-wing militants. They also stand accused of abetting the movement led by a U.S.-based cleric the Turkish government blames for a 2016 coup attempt. They face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted on all charges.
Amnesty welcomed the activists’ release and vowed to continue to defend human rights in the country.
“Today, finally, we celebrate that our friends and colleagues can go back with their loved ones and can sleep in their own beds for the first time in almost four months,” said Amnesty’s secretary general, Salil Shetty. “Tonight we take a brief moment to celebrate, but tomorrow we will continue our struggle.”
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also welcomed the court’s decision to free Steudtner and seven other activists and said Berlin would continue to seek the release of other Germans held in separate cases. He said the ruling showed German calls for a fair trial had been heeded.
The European Union’s commissioner for enlargement, Johannes Hahn said on Twitter: “First step into right direction. Now further releases must follow, unfounded charges dropped.”
The trial was adjourned until Nov. 22.
Earlier, as their trial opened, the defendants denied the accusations and asked to be released.
“I dedicated my life to truth and justice, and that is all I ask of this court,” Ozlem Dalkiran of the Citizens’ Assembly organization testified, according to Amnesty’s International Director for Europe John Dalhuisen.
