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Emine Ocak, a member of Saturday Mothers Turkish group is detained by Turkish female riot police during a demonstration on August 25, 2018 in Istanbul. - Istanbul police break up a regular demonstration by Turkish mothers and other relatives of people that were forcibly disappeared in the 1980s and 1990s, detaining dozens as they marked holding the 700th such weekly protest. (Photo by Hayri TUNC / AFP) (Photo credit should read HAYRI TUNC/AFP/Getty Images) ------- The photo shows Emine Ocak, mother of Hasan Ocak, who was forcibly disappeared in the hands of the state in 1995 at age 23. The longstanding peaceful vigil known as the ‘Saturday Mothers’ vigil first started as a response to the hundreds of reported cases of enforced disappearances during the 1980s and 1990s by relatives of people who were forcibly disappeared and to protest against the prevalent impunity for grave human rights violations of the day. The exact circumstances of the disappearances in the vast majority of cases are still unknown, including the fate and whereabouts of hundreds of victims, and those responsible have not been brought to justice. Saturday Mothers have held 699 peaceful gatherings since May 1995. During this time, many participants have faced intimidation, harassment, excessive use of force, arbitrary detention and unjust prosecution. In 1999, as a result, the organizers decided to stop holding the weekly vigils, which resumed in 2009 to continue with their demand of truth and justice for all cases of enforced disappearances. On 25 August, police in Istanbul used unnecessary and excessive force, including tear gas, plastic bullets and water cannons, to disperse participants of a weekly vigil - known as the ‘Saturday Mothers vigil’ - held for victims of enforced disappearance. The longstanding protest was marking its 700th week since it was first held in 1995. Scores of participants, including elderly relatives of people who were forcibly disappeared in the hands of the state, were ill-treated and 47 people were detained before being released from police custody later that day.

25th October 2022
Protect the Protest of Saturday Mothers/People’s weekly vigil

16th October 2022
Write For Rights 2022: Nasser Zefzafi – MOROCCO/WESTERN SAHARA: Locked up for 20 years for demanding change

6th August 2020
Virus-hit prisons still full of human rights defenders, as attacks continue

23rd January 2020
Five questions on human rights for general election candidates in 2020

5th November 2018
Ukraine: Legacy of murdered activist must be an end of impunity for attackers

23rd August 2018
Saudi Arabia: Outrageous ongoing detention of women’s rights defenders reaches 100 days

23rd August 2018
Saudi Arabia: Appalling plan to execute female activist must be stopped

20th August 2018
Cambodia: Land rights activist Tep Vanny released from prison following royal pardon

17th August 2018
Turkey: Taner thanks supporters and hopes justice will prevail

15th August 2018
Turkey: Amnesty Turkey’s Chair has been released after more than a year behind bars

9th August 2018
Egypt: Amal Fathy referral to trial a shocking case of injustice

31st July 2018
Amnesty welcomes quashing of SIPO’s decision on OSF grant

13th July 2018
China: The spirit of Liu Xiaobo will never die

3rd July 2018
Igor Kalyapin, Nizhny Novgorod

27th June 2018
Aleksey Sokolov, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Region

25th June 2018
Andrey Rudomakha, Sochi

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Amnesty International Ireland is an approved body under section 209 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Section 209 of the TCA 1997 applies to an organisation which is a body for the promotion of the observance of the universal declaration of the Human Rights or the implementation of the European convention for the protection of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms