BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government condemned on Tuesday the detention of human rights activists in Turkey, including German Peter Steudtner, after a group of campaigners were remanded in custody accused of belonging to a terrorist organization.

“The German government condemns the arrest of Peter Steudtner and other human rights defenders in Turkey. We demand that he is quickly released from prison,” said a spokeswoman for Germany’s foreign office.

To link an advocate of human rights and democracy, like Peter Steudtner, to supporters of terrorists is “absurd”, she added.