Turkish police raid human rights activist Eren Keskin's home

Police raided the home of Turkey's Human Rights Association's (İHD) co-chair Eren Keskin at midnight on Dec. 3 over an investigation concerning a speech she held in the eastern province of Dersim two and a half years ago.

Saturday December 04 2021 11:49 am

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Police raided the home of Turkey's Human Rights Association's (İHD) co-chair Eren Keskin on Dec. 3 night.

The İHD said that the raid was undertaken with the framework of an investigation against Keskin over a speech she gave in the eastern province of Dersim two and a half years ago.

İHD executive Zeynep Boztoprak reacted against the raid asking if it was a move of “intimidation.” “It seems they were going to take her [Keskin's] testimony over a speech she gave in Dersim two and a half years ago. Did you understand what she said in two and a half years? Eren Keskin is a lawyer; was it the case that you called her and she didn't come?” Boztoprak, who is also herself a lawyer, asked.

Eren Keskin’in evine şimdi, gecenin bu saatinde güvenlik şube baskın yapıyor. 2.5 yıl önce Dersim'de yaptığı bir konuşma nedeniyle ifadesi alınacakmış.2.5 yılda mı anladınız ne dediğini?Eren Keskin bir avukat, çağırdınız da gelmedi mi? Neyin gösterisi bu? Eren Keskin'e “gözdağı”?
— Zeynep Boztoprak (@zeynepboztoprak) December 3, 2021

The İHD's central office also slammed the raid, saying Keskin was not detained and she will go to the police station to give her testimony on Dec. 7.

Keskin also commented on the raid saying that she is well aware of this “system” of oppression. “We are not going anywhere. [The location of] Our offices are known; call us and we would come. Do not come to our houses and disturb our families. It is very painful to talk about the freedom of thought and speech in this era. This is a geography in which [mafia leader] Aladdin Çakıcı and people like him have the freedom to threaten society. We do not have the power of the state behind us,” she wrote on Twitter.

Evlerimize gelmeyin ailelerimizi rahatsız etmeyin . Düşünce ve ifade özgürlüğünü bu çağda konuşmak çok acı gerçekten. Alaaddin Çakıcı nın ve onun gibilerin toplumu tehdit etme özgürlüğünün olduğu bir coğrafya burası.
— Eren Keskin (@KeskinEren1) December 3, 2021

Keskin is a renowned human rights defender both in Turkey and in the world and is often judicially harassed through investigations and lawsuits.