Eren Keskin prosecuted by Turkey receives human rights award

Prominent human rights advocate Eren Keskin, who is facing 143 lawsuits and travel ban due to her position as a chief editor of the shut-down Özgür Gündem newspaper, has received a human rights award from Sweden.

Prominent human rights advocate Eren Keskin, who is facing 143 lawsuits and prohibited to leave the country due to her position as a chief editor of the shut-down Özgür Gündem newspaper, has been awarded by Stockholm-based Anna Dahlbäck Memorial Fund with the Human Rights Prize of 2017.

Keskin could not attend the award ceremony in Medelhavmuseet due to the travel ban. Eren Keskin's colleague Sidar Güney attended the ceremony on behalf of her and read out a letter Keskin wrote for the occasion.

Keskin stated in her written speech that the human rights situation in Turkey is quite grave, and that 180 journalists, writers and human rights advocates are jailed due to the intense crackdown on media and right of expression.