Turkish Government Arrests over 300

Refugees living in the border town of Van, Turkey informed IFIR on April 26 that the Turkish police were indiscriminately arresting refugees at the marketplace and taking them to security for questioning. Over three hundred were arrested.

IFIR immediately informed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Van and international organisations. Most of the refugees were released the same day, however a number remain in prison. IFIR is concerned for their safety and calls on groups and individuals to demand their release. UNHCR Turkey’s e-mail: turan@unhcr.ch.