ISTANBUL—A Turkish court on Wednesday ordered the release on bail of eight human rights activists, including the director of the local branch of Amnesty International, pending a verdict in their trial on terrorism charges.
The case against the activists, who number 11 in total and who face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty, has become a flashpoint in Turkey’s tension with Europe and heightened concern that an important NATO member is sliding further towards authoritarianism under President Tayyip Erdogan.
