Amnesty director in Turkey & 10 other rights activists face up to 15 yrs imprisonment

A Turkish prosecutor demanded jail sentences ranging from 7 1/2 to 15 years on charges of supporting terrorism for 11 human rights activists on Sunday, Turkish Dogan news agency reported. Most of the activists, including foreign citizens of several countries, were arrested near Istanbul in July at an Amnesty International workshop. The director of Amnesty in Turkey, Idil Eser, is among those facing the charges for allegedly "giving help to an armed terrorist group." Ankara's move has been criticized by Germany, with Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel saying he is concerned about the charges, describing them as "absolutely incomprehensible" and saying that jail terms would be "unacceptable."