According to her representatives, a British woman has initiated a hunger strike following her unexplained detention upon arrival in Ankara to protest the recent NATO summit.
Ella Vivier, a 26-year-old neuroscience graduate from Brighton, heeded the call from Turkish political organizations, civil society groups, and trade unions to demonstrate against the summit in the Turkish capital.
The NATO summit, which commenced on Tuesday, was attended by global leaders such as UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump.
Ms. Vivier, employed as a support worker for vulnerable children, was apprehended around 9 pm on Sunday, together with three other protesters, as reported by her legal representatives in Ankara.
All four individuals commenced a hunger strike on Monday after being arrested without being provided any reasons, according to Suheyla Oguz and Senem Doganoglu, her legal representatives in Ankara.
The legal representatives stated, “Upon detention, no explanation or legal grounds were provided to Ms. Vivier. Subsequently, it was conveyed by the authorities that the detention pertains to an alleged association with an illegal group.
“Nevertheless, our review of the investigation dossier has uncovered no substantiating evidence for this claim, and no factual basis has been disclosed to the defense.”
Ms. Vivier remains uncharged with any offense, with an inquiry ongoing on suspicions of “instigating provocative actions during the NATO summit,” as per her legal representatives.
Nonetheless, the legal team posited that no Turkish criminal law defines the offense of “instigating provocative actions.”
“In our legal judgment, there are serious doubts about the legality of the detention. Ella was not informed of the grounds for her detention at the time of apprehension,” mentioned Ms. Oguz.
A spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) commented, “We are providing assistance to the family of a British woman detained in Turkey and are coordinating with local authorities.”
Ms. Vivier’s partner, who chose anonymity, expressed difficulties in establishing contact with her, mentioning, “No one, except the lawyer, has been permitted to communicate with her. She is held in a counter-terror cell. Even the embassy has not had direct contact with her.”
“The detention is entirely unlawful,” the partner added. “She and the other three internationalists she was detained with were arrested preventively before the summit commenced, without engaging in any protests, thus not committing any crime.
“It’s solely a precautionary detention, which we view as breaching fundamental human