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
InfoDesk@ohchr.org
civilsociety@ohchr.org
dexrel@ohchr.org
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: INFO@CSCE.GOV
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: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
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: sreducation@ohchr.org
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: freedex@ohchr.org
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: federica.mogherini@ec.europa.eu
The Honorable Thorbjorn Jagland
Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
Avenue de I’Europe F-67075
Strasbourg Cedex, France
Email: private.office@coe.int
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
Widget not in any sidebars
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: info@freedomhouse.org or call our main line: 202-296-5101, fax 202-293-2840
For Congressional inquiries, please email
Annie Boyajian, Advocacy Manager, at boyajian@freedomhouse.org
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
report@aiusa.org
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY
Twitter: @NEDemocracy | Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/National.Endowment.for.Democracy
Ph: (202) 378-9700
E-Mail: INFO@NED.ORG
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: ti@transparency.org
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: information@icj-cij.org
Phone: (+31) 70 302 23 23
Fax: (+31) 70 364 99 28
Twitter: @CIJ_ICJ
Website: http://www.icj-cij.org/en
