Amnesty: Turkey among countries with worst rights practices

ISTANBUL – The international human rights group Amnesty International says Turkey was among countries with the worst practices for human rights in 2016.

In its annual report released Wednesday, the group said freedom of expression had deteriorated sharply during the year, noting that 118 journalists were arrested and 184 news outlets were closed after the government declared a state of emergency following a failed coup attempt.

The group also reported an increase in cases of torture and ill-treatment under police detention, in areas placed under curfew while security forces battled Kurdish militants, and in the immediate aftermath of the coup attempt.

Presenting the group’s findings on Turkey, researcher Andrew Gardner told reporters in Istanbul: “In terms of the trends … we looked to Turkey unfortunately, to see the most shocking examples.”