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Ankara, Türkiye — Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Enes Hocaoğulları, a 23-year-old LGBTQ+ rights advocate who was arrested in early August following a speech critical of government actions during recent mass protests.
Hocaoğulları, who served as the international relations coordinator for ÜniKuir, a Turkish university-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group, was detained at Ankara Esenboğa Airport on August 5 and placed in pre-trial detention. His arrest stems from remarks delivered at the 48th session of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Strasbourg on March 27, where he condemned the Turkish government’s response to protests triggered by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Turkish authorities have charged Hocaoğulları under Article 217/A of the penal code for “publicly disseminating misleading information,” and under Article 216/1 for “inciting the public to hatred and enmity.” Both charges carry potential prison sentences of one to three years.
Amnesty International has criticized the charges as arbitrary and incompatible with Türkiye’s international legal obligations. In a public statement, the organization asserted that Hocaoğulları’s speech constituted peaceful expression protected under Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers.”
“No one should be prosecuted for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and speaking out against human rights violations,” Amnesty stated, urging the Turkish government to repeal Article 217/A and amend Article 216/1 to target only advocacy of hatred that incites violence or discrimination.
International concern over the case has grown. Oliver Ropke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, echoed Amnesty’s position, warning that restrictions on freedom of expression in Türkiye represent a broader erosion of democratic principles. “Such abuse undermines the ability of human rights activists and civil society to serve as essential watchdogs, holding government actions to account,” Ropke said. He emphasized that as a member of the Council of Europe and an EU candidate country, Türkiye is expected to uphold democratic standards and the rule of law.
Hocaoğulları’s speech criticized the Turkish government’s handling of protests following İmamoğlu’s arrest on charges of bribery, extortion, and manipulation of public tenders. Amnesty International has documented alleged human rights violations during the crackdown, including excessive use of force by police, unlawful deployment of less-lethal weapons against peaceful demonstrators, and threats of sexual violence in custody.
The case has sparked renewed debate over the use of Türkiye’s counterterrorism and public order laws to suppress dissent and silence activists. Rights groups continue to call for greater international scrutiny and legal reform to safeguard civil liberties and freedom of expression in the country.
This article includes excerpts from reporting by Tony Xun for Jurist.org, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Tony Xun | U. Ottawa Faculty of Law, CA
