Novelist and human rights activist Aslı Erdoğan, as well as linguist Necmiye Alpay, were re-arrested last week (23 November) and charged with “membership of a terrorist organisation” by the Turkish government.

In August, following an attempted coup against president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the government closed 29 publishing houses and seized all assets, including publishing rights, and closed three news agencies, 45 newspapers, 16 television stations, 23 radio stations and 15 magazines.

We are adding our voice to those which have already called for the release of all detainees held solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

These voices include the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), the International Publishers Association (IPA) and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF).

We join them in urging the EU to take a strong stance on the situation. Free expression is an inalienable human right and must be protected wherever it is threatened.