Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday criticized Turkey’s detention of an environmental activist, warning it raises concerns about whether the country will uphold the rights of environmental defenders as co-host of the United Nations climate summit, COP31, scheduled for November.
The statement preceded a Turkish court decision on Monday to keep 26-year-old activist Esra Işık in pretrial detention after her first hearing.
HRW urged Turkish authorities to release Işık and drop the charges against her.
“Such a preemptive jailing for a potential intent to protest is not lawful under Turkish or international law,” the organization said.
Işık is part of a long-running local campaign against a coal mining project in Muğla province that dates back to 2019 and involves plans to clear olive groves near residential areas.
The charges stem from a March 2026 incident in which Işık protested a court-ordered land inspection carried out by experts on property subject to urgent expropriation.
Prosecutors accuse Işık of insulting and resisting a public official in the performance of their duty, charges that carry a potential prison sentence of up to seven years.
A court ordered her pretrial detention following her arrest in March 30, citing concerns that she could interfere with further inspections or continue protesting, HRW said.
The group also highlighted investigations into two others, trade union member Başaran Aksu and lawyer in training Doğukan Akan, over social media posts criticizing Işık’s arrest.
“Türkiye’s detention of Işık for protesting coal mining, and the others for social media posts that fall squarely within the bounds of free speech, raises serious questions about the likelihood of it respecting those rights during COP31,” the group said.
