The non-governmental organization Amnesty International expressed yesterday Tuesday its “enormous relief” at the final annulment of the convictions of four human rights defenders in Turkey, including two executives of its branch in that country.

“Justice prevailed”, commented the NGO in a press release it published, welcoming the annulment of the “non-existent convictions” of the four, among whom were Taner Kilic, the honorary president of Amnesty in Turkey, and Idil Eser, a former executive of organization.

Overturning the convictions “reflects the political nature of the persecution” of human rights defenders for years, he added.

“The decision (…) puts an end to this travesty of justice of spectacular proportions”, was the reaction of the general secretary of Amnesty International, Anies Kalamar, always according to the announcement.

Taner Kilic, Idil Esser, Ezlem Dalkiran and Gunal Kursun were among the eleven human rights defenders convicted in July 2020 after the trial in which they were accused of “belonging to a terrorist organization”.

Taner Kilic was arrested in June 2017 and imprisoned for over 14 months.

He was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Idil Esser, Ezlem Dalkiran and Gunal Kursun were sentenced to serve 25 months in prison for “aiding a terrorist organization”.

They spent over three months behind bars in 2017.

The Turkish judiciary initially overturned their convictions in November 2022, but this decision was appealed.