Ella Vivier, a 26-year-old British neuroscience graduate from Brighton, is on hunger strike after being detained in Ankara ahead of the NATO summit. Vivier and three other international protesters were arrested on Sunday; lawyers say no legal reason was given at arrest and that an allegation of membership of an illegal organisation is unsupported by evidence. No formal charges have been filed, though investigators reportedly cite 'initiating provocative actions'—an allegation lawyers say is not a clearly defined offence under Turkish law. The UK FCDO says it is supporting her family and liaising with local authorities.
British Protester Ella Vivier On Hunger Strike After Detention In Ankara Ahead Of NATO Summit
FILE PHOTO - Activists from the "No to NATO!" Coordination hold a signs during an anti-NATO protest outside Trump Towers in Istanbul. (is associated with: «UK woman on hunger strike in Turkey after NATO summit protest arrest») Abdullah Tepeli/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Ella Vivier, a 26-year-old British neuroscience graduate from Brighton who works as a support worker for vulnerable children, is on hunger strike after being detained by Turkish authorities in Ankara ahead of this week's NATO summit.
Vivier travelled to Ankara after calls from Turkish political organisations, civil society groups and trade unions opposing the summit, which opened this week and drew world leaders including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump.
She was detained on Sunday evening alongside three other international protesters, according to her lawyers in Ankara, Suhelya Oguz and Senem Doganoglu. All four began a hunger strike the following day to protest both their detention and the conditions in which they are being held.
"At the time of her detention, no reason or legal basis for the detention was explained to her. We were only later informed by the authorities that the investigation concerns an allegation of membership of an illegal organization," the legal team said. "Our examination of the investigation file has revealed no evidence supporting this allegation and no factual basis for the accusation has been disclosed to the defence."
Vivier has not been formally charged. Her lawyers say the ongoing inquiry is reportedly examining the allegation of 'initiating provocative actions during the NATO summit,' a formulation they argue does not correspond to a defined offence in Turkish criminal law and appears unsupported by evidence.
Oguz said there are serious concerns about the lawfulness of the detention, noting that Vivier was not informed of the reasons for her arrest at the time she was apprehended.
A partner of Vivier, who asked not to be named, told reporters that access to her has been tightly restricted. "No-one, except the lawyer, has been allowed to talk to her. She's been held in a counter-terror cell. Even the embassy haven't been able to speak to her directly," they said. They described the detention as pre-emptive and a preventive measure taken before any protests began.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman detained in Turkey and are in contact with the local authorities."
The situation remains fluid. Vivier's legal team and family are seeking clarity on the legal grounds for the detention and access to their client, while the investigation continues.
Help us improve.
