Strasbourg 26 June 2023: Members of the Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe (ASPS) meeting in Strasbourg have reiterated their unwavering support for the Director of the Turk- ish School, Hakan Altinay.
Sentenced to 18 years in jail by a Turkish Court in April 2022 on spurious charges in flagrant violation of the rule of law and basic European values, Hakan Altinay has been in jail for over a year.

The ASPS hopes his pending appeal will swiftly result in his release and acquittal on all charges. The ASPS will be closely following the case’s progress and will continue to stand by Hakan.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

-The Association of Schools of Political Studies (ASPS) was set up in July 2008 by the Directors of the Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe to play an enhanced role in the management of their programme, to strengthen links between the Schools and foster their activities. The first School was set up in Moscow in 1992. Since then other Schools have been established in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Poland, Ro- mania, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

-Nils Muiznieks became President of the ASPS in November 2018. He was the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights from 2012 to 2018.

CONTACT: Jack Hanning, Secretary General +33675797327 [email protected]