The Istanbul prosecutor’s office is charging Amnesty International’s Turkey chief and 10 others for allegedly belonging to and aiding terror groups with the completion of an indictment Sunday, according to the country’s official news agency.
The Anadolu news agency said officials concluded an investigation into the 11 human rights activists, who are now awaiting trial. The 17-page indictment was prepared by the prosecutor’s office’s terror crimes branch.
Police detained 10 rights activists during a workshop on digital security at a hotel near Istanbul in July. Eight people, including Amnesty International’s director in Turkey Idil Eser, German SteudPetertner and Swede Ali Gharavi, were arrested. Two others were detained but released pending trial.
They are accused of aiding armed terror organizations in alleged communications with suspects linked to Kurdish and left-wing militants as well as the movement led by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating last year’s coup attempt. Gulen has denied the accusations.
The indictment includes a “secret witness” who claimed the activists were engaged in illegal activities during the workshop, according to Anadolu.