Turkey's anti-terrorism legislation has been shrouded in controversy for some time. The Council of Europe [official website] on Tuesday urged Turkey [JURIST report] to move more quickly in its efforts to reform legislation. Council Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland [official profile], speaking at a conference in Ankara, emphasized the importance of reform in the laws governing freedom of expression and anti-terrorism. In January a Turkish Court charged nine lawyers [JURIST report] for membership in an outlawed group under Turkey's anti-terrorism laws. The lawyers, including some human rights advocates, are accused of being associated with the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (RPLP), a group that advocates for a Marxist state and has claimed responsibility for violence and assassinations in the country since the 1970s. Most recently, the group claimed responsibility [NYT report] for a suicide bombing attack on the US Embassy in Ankara. The UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) [official website] criticized Turkey in November for prosecuting activists [JURIST report] under the country's vague counter-terrorism law.