Gökhan Özbek, a freelance journalist and an outspoken critic of Turkey’s post-coup human rights abuses, was detained on Thursday for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“I am being detained on accusations of insulting the Presidency, in Istanbul… Goodbye…” Özbek tweeted early Thursday.
Özbek is known for his outspoken criticism against rights violations in the aftermath of a botched coup attempt last year and his support for the victims of such violations.
Turkey has been undertaking a massive purge since the coup. More than 275 journalists were arrested over the past year, many of them on charges of insulting Erdoğan.
According to the International Press Institute (IPI), 171 of them still remain in prison. (Turkey Purge)