Human rights lawyer, Filiz Kalayci, a lawyer and İHD Executive Committee member,  was arrested on 27 May 2009 on the basis of an allegation of “aiding illegal organisations". Filiz Kalayci has been working on human rights violations in prisons and on the improvement of prison conditions. She is a member of the executive committee of the Human Rights Association (IHD).

Filiz Kalayci was first arrested on 12 May 2009 along with three other lawyers linked to IHD , Mr. Hasan Anlar, Mr. Halil İbrahim Vargün and Mr. Murat Vargün, lawyers when her office and residence were raided by officers of the Ankara Directorate of Security's Anti-Terrorism Department who were in possession of a search warrant and a detention order against them. They were immediately arrested, placed in police custody in the Anti-Terror Forces Unit detention centre.

These arrests intervened after the publication by İHD of a report on human rights violations in prisons of Turkey on February 6, 2009 and made it public to draw attention on these violations. İHD had shared this report with the authorities. In addition, Ms. Filiz Kalayci, Mr. Hasan Anlar, Mr. Halil İbrahim Vargün and Mr. Murat Vargün had been working on cases of human rights violations that occurred in detention, and as a consequence they often received letters of complaint from prison inmates.

The 11^th Heavy Penal Court of Ankara, however, did not uphold the arrest and ordered the release of Filiz Kalayci on14 May 2009. The Public Prosecutor appealed the court's decision to relase her and issued another arrest warrant on 25 May 2009. On 27 May 2009, Filiz Kalayci was at Ankara Court House to work on some of her clients' files, when she was arrested by police. She was immediately brought before a judge who confirmed the arrest. She was charged with aiding an illegal organization-the Kurdistan Wokers' Party (PKK), under Article 220/7 of Turkish Penal Code.

Ms Filiz Kalayci was immediately transferred to the F-type (maximum security) Sincan's Women's Prison in Ankara. Filiz's lawyers appealed the decision of arrest to the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court but it is not yet known when the court will make a decision regarding this appeal.

Filiz Kalayci remains arbitrarily detained in the women prison of Ankara since May 28, 2009

UPDATE : 9/11/2009 : Filiz Kalayci was summoned to appear before the 11th District High Criminal Court of Ankara on November 9, 2009 at 10 am.

According to their lawyers, the Public Prosecutor brought Ms. Filiz Kalayci, Mr. Hasan Anlar, Mr. Halil Ibrahim Vargun and Mr. Murat Vargun before the 11th District High Criminal Court of Ankara and requested that they be remanded in detention. However, the court decided to release Ms. Filiz Kalayci, Mr. Hasan Anlar, Mr. Halil Ibrahim Vargun and Mr. Murat Vargun, but imposed a travel ban on them, on the basis of Article 109 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or CMK No. 5271 dated 2004, which is still in force except for Mr. Murat Vargun.

The Public Prosecutor appealed the decision, and issued a warrant of arrest against Ms. Filiz Kalayci on May 25, 2009.

Call upon the Turkish authorities to release Ms. Filiz Kalayci, immediately and unconditionally as her detention seems to merely aim at sanctioning her human rights activities, and therefore contravenes the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998.

Please urge the Turkish authorities to:

1.     Immediately and unconditionally release Filiz Kalayci, as Front Line believes that she is being held solely as a result of her legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;

2.     Ensure that treatment of Filiz Kalayci, while detention, adheres to all those conditions set out in the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;

3.     Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological security and integrity of Filiz Kalayci;

4.     Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Turkey are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

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Please take action on behalf of   Filiz Kalayci.

Copy the enclosed letter and send it to the address provided.

ADRESSES: 

President Abdullah Gul,
Office of the President,
Cumhurbaskanligi Kosku,
Cankaya,
Ankara,
Turkey.

LETTRE: 

PLEASE ACT NOW.

THANK YOU.