Türkiye: Unlawful and indiscriminate attacks on peaceful protesters must end and protest bans must be lifted immediately
Turkish authorities must end the use of unnecessary and indiscriminate force by security forces against peaceful demonstrators and investigate unlawful acts of violence committed by police against protesters, said Amnesty International, as protests against the detention of Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, intensify.
The call comes following the extension of a blanket protest ban in three cities and as authorities confirm that 1,133 protesters have been detained since protests began on 19 March. It also comes amid reports of injuries, the throttling of social media and the detention of journalists covering the overwhelmingly peaceful protests in dawn raids.
Amnesty reminds the Turkish authorities that the use of force by police must be strictly controlled. Tear gas and water cannon, for example, should never be used unless there is widespread and generalized violence against persons that cannot be contained by less harmful measures. Even where some participants engage in isolated acts of violence (i.e. using force that is likely to result in injury or death, or serious damage to property), this does not make the entire protest non-peaceful and can never justify the indiscriminate use of force by the police against all participants.
