PEN International, ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, International Press Institute and Reporters Without Borders call the attention of the UN Human Rights Council to the continuous deterioration of freedom of expression and other human rights in Turkey.

The Committee to Protect Journalists declared they joint to 12 other press freedom and freedom of expression organizations calling on the member states of the U.N. Human Rights Council to urge Turkey to end its repressive policies against independent reporting and free speech.

In a statement delivered at the 42nd session of the council on September 18 by a representative of U.K. freedom of expression group Article 19, CPJ and the other signatories expressed concern about the Turkish government’s continuing crackdown on media and civic society, including the imprisonment of dozens of journalists and media workers, the forced closure of media outlets and websites, and the arbitrary nature of trials.