On Thursday in Istanbul, six activists were detained following a meeting with lawyers from the People's Rights Bureau (HHB), as confirmed by Naim Eminoglu, head of the Istanbul chapter of the defending attorney group CHD. The activists, hailing from Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Russia, were part of an international delegation aimed at assessing the conditions of prisons in Turkey. Their detention has raised concerns about the state's treatment of individuals attempting to investigate human rights abuses within its prisons.

The People's Rights Bureau (HHB) is known for defending political opponents and frequently faces scrutiny from the Turkish authorities, especially due to alleged links to the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a group classified as terrorist by Turkey, the USA, and the EU, a claim the group denies. Eminoglu reported that the activists were detained before being deported, with their passports confiscated by the police. This incident highlights the tense atmosphere surrounding human rights advocacy in Turkey, where activists often face significant risks.

After the arrest, the activists were transferred to the Directorate of Migration, where they reportedly were not allowed to meet with their legal counsel. This response from the Turkish authorities indicates a potential crackdown on international monitoring of prison conditions and could have implications for the country's ongoing human rights issues and its relationship with global watchdogs and foreign governments that support human rights investigations.