Turkish human rights lawyer Eren Keskin has been sentenced to more than six years’ imprisonment for terror offences.
Ms Keskin, who co-chairs the Ankara-based NGO the Human Rights Association (İHD), was one of four defendants in a case concerning Özgür Gündem, a daily newspaper which was shut down after the attempted coup in 2016.
Prosecutors accuse the newspaper of acting as a propaganda channel for the clandestine Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey and the European Union regard as a terrorist organisation.
The newspaper’s former publisher Kemal Sancılı, its managing editor İnan Kızılkaya and Ms Keskin have all been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for “being a member of an armed terrorist organisation”.
Zana Kaya, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, has been sentenced to one year and 13 months in prison for the lesser offence of “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation”.
All four remain at liberty pending their appeals.
Milena Buyum, Turkey campaigner at Amnesty International, said: “Today a human rights lawyer who has spoken out against injustice for more than three decades, has become the victim of injustice herself.
“Eren Keskin has dedicated her life to defending the rights of women, prisoners and fought for justice for the families of the disappeared. This verdict is yet another shocking example of anti-terrorism laws being used to criminalise legitimate, peaceful activities.
“’I have been prosecuted many times and jailed for my thoughts. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere,’ Eren Keskin tweeted after she was sentenced.
“Amnesty International is not going anywhere either.”
