Metin Can Y?lmaz, a Turkish human rights lawyer who was sentenced to over 12 years in prison on alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement and released on Friday after seven years behind bars, was arrested again on Monday, the TR724 news website reported.
Y?lmaz was released after the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s ruling. However, Ankara prosecutors on Saturday opposed the release on grounds that he posed a flight risk and demanded his rearrest.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since the corruption investigations of December 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdo?an, his family members and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdo?an designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began to target its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement after a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Y?lmaz’s wife, Dilara, claimed that the decision for rearrest was motivated by his family links to a high-profile political prisoner.
