Support the imprisoned elected Kurdish politicians and human rights activists in Turkey!

Yüksel Baran, Leyla Güven, Abdullah Demirbaş, Firat Anli and Yurdusev Özsökmenler are some of the 80 democratically elected mayors and politicians who are now detained on charges of terrorism. Not only the elected politicians were arrested but also Muharrem Erbey, Chairman of the respected human rights organization IHD in Diyarbakir, and the organization's office was searched by the police. This is the fourth major crackdown on Kurdish politicians since DTP won a landslide victory in the local elections in March 2009.

The arrested politicians belong to those who worked hardest for local democracy in their communities. They have worked for women's rights, started women's centers and in spite of constant harassment from the Turkish state they have tried to build a functioning infrastructure in their municipalities.

As municipal politicians we are deeply outraged over the treatment of the elected politicians. Unfortunately, the Turkish state wants to crush the democracy that they are strenuously trying to build up in the Kurdish municipalities. It is time for local politicians in Sweden and politicians throughout Europe to declare that this is not acceptable. Turkey has signed the UN Declaration on Human Rights and as a signing country you are pledged to follow the declaration. Respect for national minorities and the right to freedom of expression is a prerequisite for membership in the European Union and Turkey have agreed to negotiate for membership on this basis.

If Turkey is to have any credibility left as a modern country towards democracy, they must have the imprisoned elected politicians and human rights activists immediately released.

Ann-Margarethe Livh
Opposition city commissioner (V) in Stockholm,
Chairman of the Stockholm Committee for Kurdish rights

Naile Aras
Local politician (V) in Järfälla,
Board member of the Stockholm Committee for Kurdish rights