Armenian Human Rights Defender Detained by Police in Turkey

Arlet Natali Avazyan, an Armenian human rights defender known for criticizing the Turkish authorities, has reported on Twitter that she was detained by police. Avazyan stated that Turkish police also raided her brother's home in search of her, as reported by ermenihaber.

She further mentioned that she has been experiencing pressure issues for the past two days, noting that her blood pressure has risen. Avazyan warned that if any health complications arise (such as death or nosebleeds), the responsibility will fall on the current government of Turkey.

Avazyan speculated on the reasons for her detention, stating, "My mother is from Adana, and my father is from Malatya. Since I have publicly spoken about this, an investigation has been initiated against me."

This is not the first instance of Avazyan being detained. In October 2019, she was arrested following a police raid at her home. She was summoned for questioning to provide testimony regarding her alleged connections with "terrorists." Avazyan mentioned that she received a call from the police and would give explanations related to her tweets.

In October 2019, Avazyan made a post on Twitter about Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, sharing a family photo from 1998 and stating, "They have been known in the southern region of Antalya as 'Kurdish thieves.'" Notably, Arlet Natali Avazyan has 135,000 followers on Twitter, with her posts exceeding 193,000.