Turkish authorities have taken into custody six European activists who had entered the country to investigate conditions in Turkish prisons, according to Agence France-Presse and statements from the activists? lawyer.

Naim Emin?lu, chairman of the Istanbul branch of the Progressive Lawyers Association, said the activists were detained following a meeting with the People's Rights Bureau (Halk?n Hukuk Brosu), a law firm known for defending political prisoners, activists, and citizens whose rights have been violated. Turkish authorities allege that the firm has links to the far-left DHKP-C group, which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization.

The detainees include citizens from Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Russia. Police informed them that they would face expulsion and confiscated their passports. They were transferred to the Directorate of Migration, and according to Emin?lu, no meetings with lawyers were permitted before they were taken to Istanbul airport for deportation.

The People's Rights Bureau noted that the activists? mission focused on observing so-called ?well? prisons and the use of solitary confinement for certain political detainees. Human rights organizations have criticized these facilities, which are reportedly built with cells devoid of daylight, citing severe mental and physical health impacts on prisoners.

The detentions highlight ongoing tensions in Turkey over foreign scrutiny of its prison system and the treatment of political prisoners.