Police Stripped Me and Searched Me: Armenian Human Rights Defender in Turkey

The Armenian human rights defender Arlet Natali Avazyan, known for her sharp criticisms directed at Turkish authorities, shared on Twitter how Turkish law enforcement officials acted unlawfully and disrespectfully towards her.

“First, I was illegally arrested. Then, they stripped me and searched me. Over the past three years, tens of thousands of women have been humiliated in this way, being subjected to searches while naked. These arbitrary methods must come to an end as soon as possible,” wrote Natali Avazyan, as reported by ermenihaber.

She also published a video alongside her post, stating: “My body belongs to me. Only those I allow can touch me. Only those I consent to can see me naked.”

It is worth mentioning that earlier, the Armenian human rights defender informed via Twitter that the police had taken her into custody. She added that Turkish police also raided her brother's apartment in search of her.

Regarding the reasons for her arrest, Avazyan noted: “My mother is from Adana, and my father is from Malatya. Since I have spoken out about this, an investigation has been initiated against me.”

It should be noted that Arlet Natali Avazyan has 135,000 followers on Twitter, and her posts exceed 193,000 in number.