The Committee for Justice (CFJ) welcomes the release decisions issued by the Supreme State Security Prosecution during the month of April, which resulted in the release of at least 114 individuals, including one minor, who had been held in pretrial detention in politically related cases, according to CFJ’s documentation.
The Committee considers these decisions a positive step toward rectifying the situations of a number of detainees whose periods of pretrial detention had exceeded the maximum legal limits, or who had been subjected to case recycling across multiple cases, as well as cases that lacked a clear legal justification for their continued detention.
CFJ emphasized that the release of these detainees is consistent with the principles of the rule of law and guarantees of personal liberty, and called for building on this step through a comprehensive review of the situations of all individuals held in pretrial detention—particularly those who have exceeded legal detention limits or are facing recycling practices.
The Committee also stressed the need for release decisions to serve as a precursor to ending the prolonged use of pretrial detention as a punitive measure, and for ensuring respect for legal and human rights standards throughout arrest, detention, and trial procedures.
