Turkey police hold rights activists including Amnesty chief

Turkish police have arrested eight leading human rights activists including Amnesty International's Turkey director Idil Eser in Istanbul, reports BBC.

Two trainers - from Germany and Sweden - were also arrested in the raid on a digital security workshop at a hotel in Buyukada.

The police raid was "blatantly without cause", an Amnesty statement said.

The group's whereabouts are unknown. Police have jailed more than 50,000 people since a coup plot a year ago.

The police action "is a grotesque abuse of power and highlights the precarious situation facing human rights activists in the country", said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General.

Turkey police hold rights activists including Amnesty chief

Turkish police have arrested eight leading human rights activists including Amnesty Internationals Turkey director Idil Eser in Istanbul, reports BBC. Two trainers - from Germany and Sweden - were also arrested in the raid on a digital security workshop at a hotel in Buyukada. The police raid was blatantly without cause, an Amnesty statement said. The groups whereabouts are unknown. Police have jailed more than 50,000 people since a coup plot a year ago. The police action is a grotesque abuse of power and highlights the precarious situation facing human rights activists in the country, said Salil Shetty, Amnesty Internationals Secretary General.