AST STATEMENT REGARDING GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY ON
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, DECEMBER 10

Under the state of emergency, imposed after the July 2016 attempted coup and lifted on July 2018, President Erdogan presided over the cabinet, which could pass decrees without parliamentary scrutiny or the possibility of appeal to the constitutional court. Many decrees adopted contained measures that undermine human rights safeguards and conflict with Turkey’s international human rights obligations. The routine extensions of the state of emergency within two years have led to profound human rights violations against hundreds of thousands of people – from arbitrary deprivation of the right to work and to freedom of movement, to torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions and infringements of the rights to freedom of association and expression.

The Erdogan government is showing disregard to the rights of its dissidents. Approximately 217,000 people are detained and over 82,000 people are arrested on terrorism charges. Those prosecuted include journalists, civil servants, teachers, politicians, academics, human rights defenders as well as police officers and military personnel. The prosecutions often lack compelling evidence of criminal activity. Thereby the State officials use torture and ill-treatment in custody, including severe beatings, threats of sexual assault and actual sexual assault, electric shocks, waterboarding and interference with medical examinations.

Public officials continued to be dismissed or suspended by decree without due process, with more than 170,000 dismissed since July 2016. Those dismissed from their jobs lost their income, social benefits, medical insurance, and even their homes, as various decrees stipulated that public servants “shall be evicted from publicly-owned houses or houses owned by a foundation in which they live within 15 days”.

Websites including Wikipedia are blocked. Hundreds of media outlets, associations, foundations, private hospitals, and educational establishments that the government shut down by decrees are still closed, their assets were confiscated without compensation. The states of emergency have been used to severely and arbitrarily curtail the human rights of a very large number of people which is also declared by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

One of the most alarming actions of the Turkish authorities is incarceration of women who are pregnant or have just given birth. Some are incarcerated with their children and others violently separated from them. At this moment, seven hundred forty-three (743) children under the age of six are in jails across Turkey with their mothers, detained or arrested as part of the government crackdown on its dissidents. One hundred forty-nine (149) of these children are infants under a year old. “This is simply outrageous, utterly cruel, and surely cannot have anything whatsoever to do with making the country safer” as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein” also emphasized.

Another alarming action of the Turkish government is the overseas operations conducted by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to capture perceived political opponents of President Erdogan’s administration. Abductions are perpetrated by violating international legal norms.

We, as Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST), want to emphasize our deep concern and make you aware of human rights violations in Turkey. We want the Turkish government to change its seizure policies and reinstitute human rights all over the country and follow the rule of law. Turkey is in breach of its International Law Obligations. We, as AST urge you to address this situation and attract attention to it in your official capacity. AST urges to stand against the unlawful practices of the Turkish government after the failed coup attempt in July 2016.

In this regard, we call upon the Government of the Republic of Turkey to:

● Stop arbitrary arrests, detentions and wrongful prosecution of political prisoners and release them;

● Stop arbitrary arrests, detentions and wrongful prosecution of women and children;

● Stop illegal overseas operations to capture perceived political opponents;

● Stop, prevent and punish the use of torture and ill-treatment by State officials;

● Reinstate, those wrongly detained, prosecuted and dismissed from their posts;

● Ensure and safeguard the independence of the legal profession.

You can download the AST Statement’s PDF version about Grave Human Rights Violations in Turkey

https://silencedturkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Human-Rights-Day-Letter.pdf

SEND AN EMAIL OR MAIL

We urge you to express your views or send attached sample statement to following addresses:

https://silencedturkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Human-Rights-Day-Letter.docx

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

#FreePrisonersofConscience
#StandUp4HumanRights

Video about Children and their Mothers are Prisoners of Conscience in Turkey

AST FLYER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

https://silencedturkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HUMAN-RIGHTS-DAY-FLYER.jpg

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS.

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner

The Honorable Ms. Michelle Bachelet Jeria/High Commissioner
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION

234 Ford House Office Building 3rd & D streets SW, Washington, DC 20515

TEL: 202-225-1901 | FAX: 202-226-4199 |
EMAIL: [email protected]
Twitter: @HelsinkiComm | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helsinkicommission

UNITED NATIONS & EU

The Honorable Zeid Ra’ad AI Hussein
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH- 121 I Geneva 10. Switzerland
Email: [email protected]

The Honorable Dr. Koumbou Boly Barry
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education
Palais des Nations
CH- 1 2 1 1 Geneva 1 0. Switzerland
Email: [email protected]

The Honorable David Kaye
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Palais des Nations
CH- 121 I Geneva 10. Switzerland
Email: [email protected]

The Honorable Federica Mogherini
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200/Wetstraat 200 B-1049
Brussels, Belgium
Email: [email protected]

The Honorable Thorbjorn Jagland
Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
Avenue de I’Europe F-67075
Strasbourg Cedex, France
Email: [email protected]

The Honorable Nils Muiznicks
Commissioner for Human Rights
Council of Europe
Avenue de I’Europe F-67075
Strasbourg Cedex, France

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Email: https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform
Phone: (202) 647-6575

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Twitter: @StateDept
Website: https://www.state.gov/

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND NGOS

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Twitter: @hrw | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumanRightsWatch

NY Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Tel: +1-212-290-4700
Fax: +1-212-736-1300

Emma Daly, Communications Director
Tel: +1-212-216-1835
Fax: +1-212-736-1300

HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION

Twitter: @HRF | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanrightsfoundation/

New York Address: 350 5th Ave., #4515 New York, NY, 10001
Phone Number: (212) 246-8486

FREEDOM HOUSE

Twitter: @FreedomHouseDC | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreedomHouseDC

For all general inquiries, please contact
Freedom House: [email protected] or call our main line: 202-296-5101, fax 202-293-2840

For Congressional inquiries, please email
Annie Boyajian, Advocacy Manager, at [email protected]

Freedom House Washington Office Address:
1850 M Street NW, Floor 11
Washington D.C. 20036

Freedom House New York Office Address:
120 Wall Street, Fl. 26
New York, NY 10005

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Twitter: @amnestyusa | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amnestyusa

If you believe your human rights have been violated and you need referrals for assistance or want to share your story, contact our research team
[email protected]

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY

Twitter: @NEDemocracy | Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/National.Endowment.for.Democracy

Ph: (202) 378-9700
E-Mail: [email protected]

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

Twitter: @anticorruption | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TransparencyInternational/

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT

Address: Alt-Moabit 96 10559 Berlin Germany

General contact:
Telephone: +49 30 3438 200
Fax: +49 30 3470 3912
Email: [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Twitter: @fidh_en | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FIDH.HumanRights

FIDH AT THE UN (NEW-YORK)
110 East 42nd Street, Suite 1309 NY 10017 New-York

Phone Number: 001 646 395 7103

HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST

Twitter: @humanrights1st | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanrightsfirst

New York
Human Rights First
75 Broad St, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10004
Tel: (212) 845 5200
Fax: (212) 845 5299

Washington
Human Rights First
805 15th Street NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 547 5692
Fax: (202) 543 5999

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (+31) 70 302 23 23
Fax: (+31) 70 364 99 28
Twitter: @CIJ_ICJ
Website: http://www.icj-cij.org/en