Enes Hocaoğulları was elected as a youth delegate to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 14 February 2025 and, during the Congress session on 19 March 2025, brought to the international stage allegations of torture against peaceful young protesters during the 19 March demonstrations in Türkiye. Although these statements were made in a peaceful manner and within the scope of freedom of expression in an international forum, he was detained at Ankara Esenboğa Airport on 4 August 2025 and subsequently arrested. According to the statement of Congress President Marc Cools, the charges are directly based on the words spoken in that speech, making this a clear act of reprisal against an international representative for fulfilling his mandate.
The arrest constitutes violations of Article 10 (freedom of expression), Article 5 (right to liberty and security), and Article 18 (prohibition of misuse of rights) of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as Articles 9 and 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Holding a delegate accountable for views expressed in the course of their official duties is not only an individual rights violation but also a direct interference with the institutional independence of the Council of Europe. This incident should be viewed as a politically motivated act that undermines Türkiye’s commitments to international human rights and democratic standards.
Therefore, as Rights Defenders, we call upon both national and international civil society organisations, human rights mechanisms, and democratic institutions to take action for the immediate release of Enes Hocaoğulları and the dismissal of all charges against him. Institutions such as the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the United Nations must treat this case not only as an individual rights violation but also as a test of their commitment to democratic values and institutional independence, and must deploy their political, legal, and diplomatic tools decisively. Failure to act will only enable the continued erosion of freedom of expression and democratic participation in Türkiye.
References
- Council of Europe Congress President calls for the immediate release of the Congress youth delegate arrested in Türkiye – Council of Europe Official Statement, 6 August 2025 https://www.coe.int/en/web/congress/-/council-of-europe-congress-president-calls-for-the-immediate-release-of-the-congress-youth-delegate-arrested-in-t%C3%BCrkiye
- Gençlik Örgütleri Forumu (GoForTR) – Public statement on the arrest of Enes Hocaoğulları, 5 August 2025 (via X/Twitter) https://x.com/gofortr/status/1952788290198814754
- European Democrats – Statement condemning the arrest of Enes Hocaoğulları, 5 August 2025 (via X/Twitter) https://x.com/democrats_eu/status/1952982043769360455
