Turkish President, accusing news of criticizing Israel of human rights violation, stands behind accusation of "Amnesty" members of the country in aid of "Patulla Golan terror"

Erdogan's regime continues in its wake: Turkey's Amnesty branch head Tanner Kilich has been sentenced to six years in prison for being convicted of "membership in the Fatullah Golan terrorist organization", as well as three other Amnesty men sentenced to 25 months in prison.

Photo: Amnesty International

The Turkish court sentenced the four to a majority vote. Kilich was severely punished by the four for "terrorist organization" membership and Islam Dalkiran, Idil Asher and Gunnel Korshon - branch members - were sentenced to 25 months in prison for the same charge. Turkish authorities have not issued their immediate arrest warrants, and the four are unlikely to be banned before hearings in higher courts, a procedure that could take years. 

"Today we saw evidence of a distortion of justice in huge proportions," said Andrew Gardner, a Turkish-area investigator at Amnesty International, who attended the court hearing. This conviction, he said, "is a grave blow to not only Tanner, Islam, Idyll and Gunnel and their families, but to all who believe in justice and human rights activities in Turkey and beyond. The court's decision is appalling." 

Gardner added: "During the 12 court hearings, each of the indictments was comprehensively exposed as baseless defamation. The court's sentence contradicts all logic and exposes this three-year trial as an attempt to silence independent votes for political reasons. Litmus for the Turkish justice system. And so, it is a tragedy to see the part that the Turkish judiciary has played and continues to play down the act of standing up for human rights. We will continue to stand alongside our friends and co-workers as they dispute these shameful decisions. "