Strasbourg: Turkish police have arrested a youth activist after he criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. His arrest marks another episode in the ongoing crackdown on Erdogan's main political opponents, with more than 500 individuals detained over the past nine months.

According to Deutsche Welle, Enes Hocaogullari, a 23-year-old LGBTQ+ advocate, delivered a speech in Strasbourg in March where he openly criticized police violence and accused Turkey of "democratic backsliding." In his address, Hocaogullari declared, "The youth has had enough... We are ready to go on the streets to regain our freedoms." His outspoken remarks have now led to his detention by Turkish authorities.

Reuters news agency reported, citing a court document, that Hocaogullari faces charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information" and "inciting hatred and enmity." These charges highlight the tense climate for political dissent in Turkey and the challenges faced by activists and opposition figures.

The Council of Europe's congress of local authorities has firmly condemned the arrest, calling for Hocaogullari's immediate release. Congress President Marc Cools emphasized in a statement, "The Congress has already expressed deep concern about the state of democracy in Turkey and called on the Turkish authorities to stop prosecuting and detaining elected representatives from opposition parties. This new attack on a youth delegate for having legitimately exercised the right to express their views in a pluralistic public debate, is scandalous and unacceptable."