• Solidarity vigil TONIGHT Wednesday 20 Feb 18.00 Schuman Roundabout• Short speech from Maside Ocak Kışlakçı, longstanding member of ‘Saturday Mothers’

Letter to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, urging the EU to lead efforts to step up action to protect Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Mexico, and to promote their important work.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE

“After days of bickering, EU leaders have signed off a raft of dangerous and self-serving policies which could expose men, women and children to serious abuse,” said Iverna McGowan, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office.

“Instead of concentrating on striking an agreement on Dublin reform, some EU leaders have come up with a last minute pitch of having docking platforms for refugees and asylum-seekers – a notion as irresponsible as it is dangerous,” said Iverna McGowan, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office.

©Antonio Rodriguez

The EU-Turkey deal perfectly encapsulates Europe’s current migration policy of ‘out of sight out of mind’.

Last year our world was immersed in crises, with prominent leaders offering us a nightmarish vision of a society blinded by hatred and fear. This emboldened those who promote bigotry, but it inspired far more people to campaign for a more hopeful future,

Over the last 24 hours we have borne witness to a travesty of justice of spectacular proportions.

Today we take a brief moment to celebrate, but tomorrow we will continue our struggle to have all charges dropped against Taner, the Istanbul 10, and all other innocent victims wrongfully caught up in this vicious crackdown.