Advocacy |
We raise awareness on the human rights situation in Turkey and advocate for Turkey’s full compliance with its human rights obligations arising from the international treaties. We advocate for the halting of serious and systemic human rights abuses, the restitution of the rights of victims of emergency rule, and facilitate co-operation with national and international civil society organisations.
Our advocacy activities aim to contribute to the development of an effectively functioning, independent and impartial judicial system through which human rights and fundamental freedoms are effectively protected and to assist Turkey’s transition out of the state of emergency to a more ‘normalised’ political and legal situation.
The Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, and the International Federation for Human Rights (“the NGOs”) made a joint Rule 9.2 submission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 12 February 2024 providing the Committee with information and recommendations on the state of implementation of individual and general measures by Türkiye in relation to the European Court of Human Rights’ Selahattin Demirtaş (no. 2) v Turkey [GC] (Application no. 14305/17) and Yüksekdağ Şenoğlu and others v Turkey (Application no. 14332/17) judgments.
The NGOs’ recommendations in the submission presented to the Committee ahead of its 1492nd Human Rights meetings in March 2024 include on the issue of individual measures:
Initiating infringement proceedings under Article 46(4) of the Convention in relation to Türkiye’s continued failure to release Mr. Demirtaş and Ms. Yüksekdağ Şenoğlu from detention; and
Requesting that Turkish authorities ensure restitutio in integrum to all of the applicants, by annulling criminal proceedings initiated during their term in office pursuant to the constitutional amendment of May 2016 (including in the ongoing “Kobani trial” based on the “6-8 October 2014 events”, which was the subject of the Court’s judgments); and annulling proceedings similarly based on the applicants’ political activities, where they relate to an identical or similar factual context as examined by the Court.
Regarding general measures, the NGOs call on the Committee of Ministers to urge Türkiye to:
Annul and remedy all criminal proceedings initiated during the HDP MPs’ term in office based on the constitutional amendment of May 2016;
Annul and remedy criminal proceedings relying on a decision by the judiciary to set aside parliamentary inviolability, contrary to the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court;
Put an end to the judicial harassment of parliamentarians, which has unduly impeded the exercise of their political mandate, by ensuring that judicial authorities refrain from submitting summaries of proceedings (fezleke) in connection with their exercise of their Convention rights;
Take concrete steps to ensure that parliamentary non-liability under Article 83(2) of the Constitution is systematically and genuinely applied by prosecutorial and judicial authorities;
Take concrete steps to ensure the ECtHR jurisprudence on freedom of expression is genuinely and effectively applied by prosecutorial and judicial authorities when applying and interpreting anti-terrorism or national security laws; and secure the implementation of the Committee of Ministers’ and Venice Commission’s recommendations on this issue;
Ensure that remedies and safeguards against arbitrary interferences with the rights of elected representatives and other opposition politicians are effective in practice, including by strengthening the effectiveness of the individual application process to the Constitutional Court and protecting its independence; and
Take specific measures to address the obstacles described in this submission to opposition politicians’ exercise of their elected mandates in a free and safe environment.underscore the key role that the Committee’s supervision will play in ensuring Türkiye’s compliance with the judgments, and international oversight and provide views on four central issues:
The government’s claim that the ongoing detention of Mr Kavala does not fall within the scope of the 10 December 2019 and 11 July 2022 judgments of the ECtHR, which is profoundly misleading and in direct defiance of the Court’s rulings.
The government’s false argument that the Grand Chamber did not address the April 2022 conviction of the applicant in its July 2022 judgment.
The imperative that Mr. Kavala be released immediately as part of the appropriate and urgent response to the Grand Chamber judgment.
The necessity of the Committee increasing its efforts to secure the release of Mr Kavala by effectively using all designated legal, political, diplomatic, and financial tools in hand while continuing to firmly condemn Türkiye’s refusal to implement the judgment.
The submission can be accessed here.
The Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists (“the NGOs”) made a joint Rule 9.2 submission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2024 providing information and recommendations on the state of implementation of individual and general measures required by the European Court of Human Rights’ judgments of Kavala v Turkey (Application no. 28749/18, 10 December 2019) and Proceedings under Article 4646§4 in the case of Kavala v Türkiye [GC] (Application no. 28749/18, 11 July 2022).
In the submission, he NGOs ask the Committee to call once again for the immediate release of Osman Kavala; to stress that the ECtHR’s two judgments plainly apply to Osman Kavala’s conviction and aggravated life sentence; and to strongly condemn judicial authorities’ decision to uphold this conviction and sentence. They also urge the Committee to affirm its endorsement of the PACE resolution of 12 October 2023; condemn domestic authorities’ bad faith allegations that the PACE pursues political motives; recall the Turkish authorities’ binding obligation under Article 46 of the Convention; intensify its efforts to ensure continued engagement with this case; and identify the implementation of these judgments as one of the main conditions for maintaining constructive co-operation with Türkiye.
Regarding the implementation of general measures to put an end to similar violations, to provide redress for such violations, and to prevent other similar violations from reoccurring, the NGOs highlight the continued instrumentalisation of criminal law to silence human rights defenders and suppress scrutiny and criticism of the state. Turkish authorities have consistently failed to adhere to international standards on states' heightened responsibilities in safeguarding human rights defenders due to their pivotal role in a democratic society. The legitimate exercise of Convention rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association is repeatedly being linked to violent events and serious criminal offenses through a manifestly unreasonable interpretation of criminal law and evidentiary standards. In these proceedings against real or perceived dissenting voices, the basic tenets of legality and of a fair trial are systematically violated. The NGOs also underline Turkish authorities’ persistent failure to adhere to Convention standards and to implement key ECtHR judgments finding that an individual’s detention pursued an ulterior purpose, or that judicial authorities’ interpretation and application of criminal law violated the essence of the right to a fair trial and the principle of legality.
The NGOs ask the Committee in this respect to urge Turkish authorities to bring an end to punitive prosecutions and misuse of criminal law against human rights defenders and adopt a concrete policy and targeted legislation on the protection of human rights defenders against any form of harassment or persecution and for the creation of a safe and enabling environment for them to pursue their activities. The NGOs provide further recommendations on amending broad and vaguely worded anti-terrorism and national security legislation; addressing non-implementation of ECtHR judgments and ensuring respect for Convention standards; and monitoring and strengthening respect of legality and fair trial rights.
The submission also underlines intensifying issues surrounding judicial independence and impartiality in Türkiye. It discusses the lack of structural independence of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors; the deeply polarised system of judicial appointment; and politically motivated decisions regarding promotions, transfers, disciplinary measures and the dismissal of judges and prosecutors. The NGOs describe, furthermore, the lack of structural independence of the Constitutional Court and the increasingly intense pressure it has faced over cases concerning perceived dissidents. Finally, they point to continuing attempts by the President and his governing coalition to influence criminal proceedings.
To address these systemic issues, the NGOs urge the Committee of Ministers to request that Türkiye address serious shortcomings in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary by reforming the method of appointment of the Council of Judges and prosecutors, in line with international standards, and modifying the problematic appointment system for judges and prosecutors. Türkiye must also be asked to ensure that judges and prosecutors are protected from politically motivated decisions against them by addressing this submission’s recommendations under this heading. These include ensuring that such decisions are based on objective criteria and that affected individuals have access to an effective remedy before an independent judicial body, as well as strengthening judges’ security of tenure and granting them functional immunity both in law and in fact.
The NGOs’ recommendations further detail specific measures to strengthen the independence of the Constitutional Court and the effectiveness of the individual application mechanism before that Court, including preventing or ceasing any criminal proceedings against members of the Constitutional Court for their decisions. Finally, the NGOs urge the Committee to emphasise that it is imperative for government and state officials to desist from all forms of interference in the administration of justice, including overt comments on ongoing proceedings and covert instructions to members of the judiciary.
The submission can be accessed here.
Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists presented on 1 September 2022 a joint Rule 9.2 to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgments in the case of Kavala v. Turkey (Application no. 28749/18) and the Proceedings under Article 46 (4) in the case of Kavala v. Türkiye [GC] (Application no. 28749/18).
On 11 July 2022, the Grand Chamber of the the European Court of Human Rights issued a historic judgment in the infringement proceedings against Türkiye under Article 46(4) of the European Convention on Human Rights for the state’s failure to implement the Court’s Kavala v. Turkey 2019 judgment. The Court condemned Türkiye’s failure to fulfil its obligation to abide by its ruling in the case, in particular by refusing to release Osman Kavala. Despite this significant finding, in its submission to the Committee of Ministers dated 19 July 2022, the Turkish government continues to defy the Court’s order to release Mr Kavala and purports to justify his continued detention, this time on the basis of his latest conviction by the Istanbul 13th Assize Court. In a widely criticised judgment delivered on 25 April 2022, the Turkish court sentenced Mr Kavala to aggravated life imprisonment on charges of attempting to overthrow the government (under Article 312 of the Criminal Code) for his alleged role in the 2013 Gezi Park protests.
In the submission presented to the Committee ahead of its 1443rd Human Rights meetings between 20 and 22 September 2022, the NGOs underscore the key role that the Committee’s supervision will play in ensuring Türkiye’s compliance with the judgment, and international oversight and provide views on four central issues:
- The government’s claim that the ongoing detention of Mr Kavala does not fall within the scope of the 10 December 2019 and 11 July 2022 judgments of the ECtHR, which is profoundly misleading and in direct defiance of the Court’s rulings.
- The government’s false argument that the Grand Chamber did not address the April 2022 conviction of the applicant in its July 2022 judgment.
- The imperative that Mr. Kavala be released immediately as part of the appropriate and urgent response to the Grand Chamber judgment.
- The necessity of the Committee increasing its efforts to secure the release of Mr Kavala by effectively using all designated legal, political, diplomatic, and financial tools in hand while continuing to firmly condemn Türkiye’s refusal to implement the judgment.
The submission can be accessed here.
On 1 September 2022, the Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project, Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists presented a Rule 9.2 communication to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers regarding the execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment in the case of Pişkin v. Turkey (Application no. 33399/18). The Pişkin v. Turkey judgment is the first in which the Court has ruled on the incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights of the widespread dismissals of public sector workers under the state of emergency. The findings of the Court are relevant to the tens of thousands who have been affected by this drastic practice, and whose right to an effective remedy continues to be violated.
The submission complements an earlier submission by the same NGOs dated 29 October 2021 (available here) on general measures Türkiye has an obligation to take to implement the Court’s judgment and responds to the Government’s Action Report submitted to the Committee of Ministers on 31 January 2022 requesting the closure of the case. The NGOs urge the Committee of Ministers to exercise robust oversight of this important case, and to adopt a holistic approach to implementation and reparation in the case. While this includes addressing the situation of the applicant, the Committee’s attention should not be limited to the narrow circumstances of this particular case, as it represents widespread and systematic violations of similar nature which have in no way been addressed or remedied. The submission can be accessed here.
Türkiye ve dünyadan 43 baro, hukuk ve insan hakları örgütü bir araya gelerek Birleşmiş Milletler (BM) Özel Prosedürlerine, Kocaeli Kandıra F Tipi Cezaevi’nde tutulan mahpus Aysel Tuğluk’un cezaevinde tutulmasının sağlık ve yaşamını ciddi şekilde tehdit ettiğine dair acil müdahale istemli bir mektup gönderdi (İngilizce mektuba buradan ulaşabilirsiniz).
20 Ocak 2022 tarihli mektup, BM İşkence ve Kötü Muameleye Karşı Özel Raportörü, Hakimlerin ve Avukatların Bağımsızlığı Özel Raportörü, İnsan Hakları Savunucularının Durumu Özel Raportörü, Keyfi Tutuklamalar Çalışma Grubu, Fiziksel ve Zihinsel Sağlık Konusunda Özel Raportör ve Azınlık Hakları Özel Raportörü’ne gönderildi.
Mektup, bir yandan Türkiye’deki hapishanelerde bulunan tutuklu ve hükümlülerin sistemli olarak maruz bırakıldığı ciddi insan hakları ihlallerine ve tutulma koşullarına ilişkin genel ve güncel bilgiler verirken, bir yandan da ciddi hastalığına rağmen hapiste tutulmaya devam edilen Kürt politikacı ve insan hakları hukukçusu Aysel Tuğluk’un durumunun detaylı bir analizine yer verdi. Bu bağlamda, mektupta özellikle şu hususlar vurgulandı:
Tıbbi raporlar, Aysel Tuğluk’un ziyaretçi ve avukatlarının ifadeleri ve duruma ilişkin kamunun erişimine açık bilgiler göstermektedir ki Aysel Tuğluk’un sağlık durumu, kendisine demans tanısı konulduğundan beri hızla kötüleşmektedir. buna göre mahpusun sağlık durumu Kocaeli Kandıra F Tipi Cezaevinde mevcut koşullarda uzun süre hayatta kalamayacağına işaret etmektedir.
Aysel Tuğluk’un bu ciddi sağlık sorunlarına rağmen mevcut hapishane koşullarında ve COVID-19 salgını sırasında hapishanede tutulmaya devam edilmesi yetkili makamların iç hukuka ve uluslararası standartlara uygun davranmadığını göstermektedir.
Bu saptamalar ışığında, imzacı kurumlar BM Özel Prosedürlerinden mektupta dikkat çekilen sorunlara ve Aysel Tuğluk’a karşı sürdürülen hak ihlallerine acil müdahalede bulunmalarını talep etti ve onları Türk makamlarına aşağıdaki konularda çağrı yapmaya davet etti:
i. Türkiye’nin iç hukuk ve uluslararası hukuktan kaynaklanan yükümlülüklerine aykırı bir şekilde çok ciddi hastalığına rağmen hapishanede tutulmaya devam eden Aysel Tuğluk’un ve benzer durumdaki diğer tutuklu ve hükümlülerin derhal salıverilmesi;
ii. hapishanelerdeki tutuklu ve hükümlülerin sağlığa erişim haklarıyla ilgili endişelerin dile getirilmesi ve ağır hasta olanların salıverilme taleplerinin reddedilmesinin ardında yatan nedenlerin araştırılması;
iii. bütün hapishanelerde doktorlar da dahil olmak üzere yeterli sayıda tıbbi görevli bulunması ve bunların işlerini müdahalelere maruz kalmadan özgürce yürütebilmesinin sağlanması;
iv. bütün hasta tutuklu ve hükümlülerin tıbbi muayenesinin gerçekleştirilmesinde tarafsız ve adil prosedürler öngören ve ağır hastalığı olanların insani sebeplerle salıverilmesini garanti altına alan yasaların geçirilip uygulamaya konulması için Türk yetkililerinin teşvik edilmesi;
v. Hesap verebilirlik ve şeffaflık prensipleri ışığında Türk Hükümeti’nin hapishanelere ziyaret ve denetim için bu konuda uzman insan hakları örgütlerine ve hükümet dışı örgütlere izin vermesinin sağlanması.
43 bar associations and lawyers and human rights organizations from across the world and Turkey wrote an urgent action letter (available here) to the United Nations (UN) special mandate holders drawing their attention to the imminent risk to health and life of ill prisoner Aysel Tuğluk held in Kocaeli Kandıra F-Type Prison, Turkey since December 2016.
The letter dated 20 January 2022 has been addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders; the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues.
The letter gives a detailed analysis of the case of Aysel Tuğluk, a Kurdish politician and human rights lawyer, who is kept in prison despite being severely ill. The letter underlines that:
According to medical reports, statements from Ms. Tuğluk’s visitors and lawyers, and publicly accessible information on the case, Ms. Tuğluk’s health has been rapidly deteriorating since her diagnosis of dementia and she is not healthy enough to survive much longer in the conditions to which she is subject in Kocaeli F-Type Prison.
Ms. Tuğluk’s continued imprisonment despite her serious health issues and her vulnerabilities to both conditions in the prison and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic show a failure of Turkish authorities to adhere to both their own domestic laws and international standards with regard to the treatment of prisoners.
The letter also provides the UN special mandate holders with general information on the systemic problems related to the condition of detention in Turkish prisons which cause serious human rights abuses.
In the light of the foregoing, the organizations request the Special Procedures’ urgent action and invite the mandate holders to call on the Turkish authorities to:
i. immediately release Ayşe Tuğluk and other severely ill prisoners who are not fit to remain in prison in compliance with Turkey’s domestic and international law obligations;
ii. communicate concerns in relation to violation of prisoners’ rights to medical services and to investigate the circumstances behind the refusal to release severely ill prisoners;
iii. ensure that all prisons in Turkey have an adequate number of medical staff, including doctors and that they work freely without any undue interference with their work;
iv. urge the Turkish Authorities to introduce and enforce legal provisions guaranteeing impartial and fair procedures for the medical evaluation of all ill prisoners and the release of seriously ill prisoners on compassionate grounds;
v. ensure the Turkish Government allows greater accountability and transparency of prison living conditions by enabling visits and inspections from human rights groups and nongovernmental entities.
“In recent years, the Turkish government’s recurrent unlawful and unjust detentions of peaceful critics and political opponents have escalated. These detentions, along with other severe human rights violations, have badly damaged Turkey’s international image. Now two political detentions in particular—of Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala and opposition leader Selahattin Demirtaş—are straining Turkey’s relationship with Europe’s leading human rights body, the Council of Europe.
Kavala (unjustly detained since 2017) and Demirtaş (unjustly detained since 2016) are both prominent figures in Turkey and globally and represent a liberal democratic vision for their country. Yet they have been detained unjustly and accused, baselessly, of some of the most serious crimes in the country. Kavala is alleged to have “organized” mass protests against the government and to have supported a coup attempt. Demirtaş, co-leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has been charged with making terrorism propaganda.
Both men took their cases to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Council of Europe’s judicial body, which ruled the detentions unjust and ordered Turkey to immediately release the men. But Turkey has ignored these orders. Now, in the face of Turkey’s obstinance, the Council is threatening to launch a process that could potentially make Turkey the first member state to ever be expelled from the club. The Council has declared that if Kavala is not released by the time of its November 30 meeting, it will formally initiate infringement procedures against Turkey.
Highlighting the growing concern among many of Turkey’s most important foreign partners, in October, 10 embassies in Turkey issued a rare joint statement calling for Kavala’s release. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded by threatening to expel all 10 ambassadors from the country. Erdoğan fortunately backtracked, and Ankara managed to narrowly avoid a major diplomatic crisis. But the continued detentions of both Kavala and Demirtaş remain serious threats to Turkey’s membership in the Council—and ongoing irritants in its ties with key countries, including the United States.
To explain the interplay between Turkey’s domestic human rights issues and what is unfolding at the Council of Europe, POMED’s Merve Tahiroğlu spoke with Turkish human rights lawyer Ayşe Bingöl Demir to unpack why and how the Kavala and Demirtaş cases came to threaten one of Turkey’s most important ties to Europe.”
The full text of the Q&A can be accessed at https://pomed.org/expert-qa-the-council-of-europe-v-turkey-will-erdogans-political-detentions-cost-turkey-its-membership/
TLSP, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists made a joint Rule 9.2 submission to the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe’s intergovernmental body responsible for overseeing the implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments. Ahead of the Committee’s March 9-11, 2021 session, the NGOs underlined that the failure to comply with a binding European Court of Human Rights order to release the human rights defender Osman Kavala should prompt Council of Europe action against Turkey. Osman Kavala has been held in pretrial detention since November 2017.
The Turkey Litigation Support Project (TLSP), together with 47 other lawyers’ and human rights organisations wrote a letter to the United Nations (UN) special mandate holders on the killing of human rights lawyer Tahir Elçi on 28 November 2015 and the lack of effective investigation into his death. Turkey must take steps to ensure a fair trial by an impartial and independent tribunal respecting the procedural rights of Tahir Elçi’s family, as well as carry out a prompt, effective, impartial, and independent investigation into Mr. Elçi’s death
TLSP, Article 19, FIDH, HRW and the ICJ made a detailed joint submission to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which oversees enforcement of the European Court of Human Rights judgments, asking it to issue the decision at its meeting on March 9-11, 2021. The groups said that Turkey continues to violate Demirtaş’s rights by flouting a landmark judgment issued by the court on December 22, 2020, requiring his immediate release.
TLSP, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists made Rule 9.2 submission on the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in Kavala v. Turkey to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In Kavala v. Turkey, the ECtHR found, on 10 December 2019, violations of Article 5(1) (right to liberty and security), Article 5(4) (right to a speedy decision on the lawfulness of detention), and Article 18 (limitation on use of restrictions on rights) of the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention) in conjunction with Article 5(1). In its judgment, which became final on 11 May 2020, the Court requested the Government of Turkey to take measures to end the detention of human rights defender Osman Kavala, the applicant, and to secure his immediate release.
TLSP and several other member organisations of Solidarity Network for Human Rights Defenders wrote a letter to the United Nations (UN) special mandate holders on 10 August 2020, underlining the recent increase in attacks on LGBTI+ people in Turkey. The letter demands an urgent intervention from the UN authorities.
TLSP, together with 17 prominent lawyers' and human rights organisations, sent an urgent action letter to the UN Special Rapporteurs expressing serious concerns regarding arbitrary detention and long-term imprisonment of lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal in violation of fair trial principles and their right to freedom of expression. When the letter was sent on 18 August 2020, Timtik and Ünsal were on hunger strike since 2 February 2020 in demand for a fair trial. The TLSP, together with a group of lawyers’ rights organisations, previously submitted another urgent action letter on 20 May 2019, which described further instances of what seems to be a systematic practice of persecuting lawyers in order to silence and intimidate human rights defenders and those critical of the Turkish government.
Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, and TLSP submitted a detailed submission to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which oversees enforcement of European Court of Human Rights judgments. The groups outlined how Turkey continues to violate Kavala’s rights by flouting a landmark judgment, that became final on May 11 requiring his immediate release.
TLSP, alongside other NGOs, submitted an urgent action letter (available in English here) in June 2020 to UN Special Rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention expressing grave concern regarding the unlawful and arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of women’s human rights defenders Adalet Kaya, Narin Gezgör, Fatma Gültekin, Gülcihan Şimşek, Özlem Gündüz, Remziye Sızıcı, Sevim Coşkun and politicians Mehmet Ali Altınkaynak, Mehmet Arslan, Celal Yoldaş and Veysi Kuzubla, whose arrest was made in connection to an investigation against the Rosa Kadın Derneği (Rosa Women’s Association). The detention of these human rights defenders is the latest of a series of actions taken by the Turkish State to unlawfully restrict the freedom of expression of human rights defenders, including women’s rights groups, within Turkey.
A follow up and update letter was submitted to the UN Special Mandate Holders in August 2020 on the same matter providing information on a police raid taken place in July 2020 resulting in arrest of more than 50 people, including 23 women’s rights defenders, in the Kurdish region and asking for the Special Procedures’ immediate intervention in the matter (available in English here).
TLSP and LLG made submissions to the UNHRC as part of Turkey’s third Universal Periodic Review process. The submissions focus on:
the effect of the current security situation in the east and southeast of Turkey on fundamental rights and freedoms
continued discrimination against the Kurdish population
the effect of measures adopted under the State of Emergency (including mass dismissals of civil servants, an increase in reported cases of arbitrary detention, torture and ill treatment, erosion of the independence of the judiciary and the active persecution of legal professionals)
ongoing impunity with regards to alleged human rights violations conducted by state officials
The submissions can be downloaded here.
The Turkey Litigation Support Project, together with 24 prominent lawyers' and human rights organisations, sent an urgent action letter (available here) to the UN Special Rapporteurs this week expressing serious concerns regarding the arbitrary detention and long-term imprisonment of 18 human rights lawyers from Halkın Hukuk Bürosu (HHB, the Peoples’ Law Office) and Ҫağdaş Hukukçular Derneği (ҪHD, the Progressive Lawyers Association) in violation of fair trial principles and of their right to freedom of expression.
The urgent action letter requests the Special Rapporteurs to urge the Turkish authorities to facilitate the immediate acquittal of lawyers Ayşegül Çağatay, Yağmur Ereren, Didem Baydar Ünsal, Yaprak Türkmen, Ahmet Mandacı, Zehra Özdemir, Ebru Timtik, Özgür Yılmaz, Behiç Aşçı, Sukriye Erden, Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Suleyman Gokten, Aytaç Ünsal, Engin Gökoğlu, Aycan Çiçek, Naciye Demir, Ezgi Cakir and Barkın Timtik; and the urgent release of those in detention pending appeal. We further requested the Special Rapporteurs to urge the Turkish authorities to:
stop all forms of harassment, including judicial harassment, against these individuals as well as other lawyers and human rights defenders in Turkey, and allow them to perform their professional and lawful functions without intimidation or improper interference
immediately stop using oppressive methods against individuals, particularly lawyers and other human rights defenders, who are critical of the human rights violations perpetrated by the State authorities including the security forces
ensure the independence of the judiciary by law and practice and to prevent judges, prosecutors and lawyers from undue interferences
