Human Rights Defenders

🇺🇦 : New report reveals deliberate torture policy by forces and potential crimes against humanity

The report documents human rights violations committed between February and October 2022 at over 20 detention sites. It is based on interviews with victims and witnesses.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/reports/ukraine-new-report-reveals-deliberate-torture-policy-by-russian-forces-and-potential-crimes-against-humanity

142 House lawmakers urge to press 🇹🇷 ’s President to end his aggressive transnational repression campaign

“We are writing to bring to your attention the deeply concerning situation in Turkey, particularly the transnational repression campaign orchestrated by President Recep Tayyip ’s government against its critics abroad.”

https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413272

businesses and homes attacked in central 🇹🇷 amid increasing anti-migrant sentiment

It must be clearly recognized that all rights and freedoms, especially the right to life, must be ensured by states. This is the primary duty of governments.

https://stockholmcf.org/syrian-businesses-and-homes-attacked-in-central-turkey-amid-increasing-anti-migrant-sentiment/

🇹🇷 : The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey has released its 2023 report, revealing a significant number of and ill-treatment cases

📌781 reported cases of torture or ill-treatment

📌The age of applicants ranged from as young as 7 to 77

https://bianet.org/haber/human-rights-report-shows-increasing-torture-against-kurds-lgbti-s-296584

695 child laborers have died in workplace accidents in 🇹🇷 in last 11 years: report

The report, coinciding with the World Day Against Child Labor on June 12, highlights the grim realities faced by many young workers in the country.

https://stockholmcf.org/695-child-laborers-have-died-in-workplace-accidents-in-turkey-in-last-11-years-report/

At least 49 migrants have been killed, including many women and children, and a further 140 are missing after the boat they were on capsized off the coast of Yemen on Monday, the UN International Organization for Migration ( ) has reported.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/06/1150936

More than a third of inmates in Europe are in 🇹🇷 prisons, data reveal

As of January 31, 2023, the total number of inmates in European jails was 1,036,680 with Turkey accounting for 348,265 of them.

https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/06/07/more-than-third-of-inmate-in-europe-are-in-turkish-prison-coe-data-reveal/

Teenagers detained over links report psychological abuse and rights violations

“There have been numerous violations of law against the children at the police station.

They were separated from their families, taken into custody without a lawyer, their statements were distorted by the police, they were mistreated, shouted at and subjected to psychological violence, and their lawyers were not allowed inside all day.”

https://stockholmcf.org/teenagers-detained-over-gulen-links-report-psychological-abuse-and-rights-violations/

🇸🇴 : Death of 23 civilians in military strikes with 🇹🇷 drones may amount to war crimes – new investigation

14 children killed and 17 civilians injured in strikes in March

Families of victims should receive reparations

Indiscriminate attacks may amount to war crimes

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/05/somalia-death-of-23-civilians-in-military-strikes-with-turkish-drones-may-amount-to-war-crimes-new-investigation/

🇹🇷 ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders ( ).

Turkey continues to be in the category of countries where the situation is "very grave".

https://rsf.org/en/country-t%C3%BCrkiye

🇺🇳 experts warn airlines over ‘complicity’ in Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda scheme

Siobhan Mullally, Gehad Madi and Alice Jill Edwards, the special rapporteurs on human trafficking, migrants’ human rights and torture, warned airlines and regulators could be “complicit” in breaching the rules by facilitating removals to Rwanda.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-rwanda-flights-un-asylum-b2532731.html

Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review (UJAR) 2024 is released!

In 2023, there were 84 universal jurisdiction cases worldwide - an increase of 33% since 2022 and of over 150% over the past 10 years.

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/international-justice/universal-jurisdiction/ujar-2024-an-uneven-expansion-of-universal-jurisdiction

🇹🇷 : Report documents over 200 cases of against artistic freedom in 2023

TV and music industry were affected from censorship the most, according to the Speak Up Platform.

https://bianet.org/haber/report-documents-over-200-cases-of-censorship-against-artistic-freedom-in-2023-293484

Country memorandum by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović:

The deterioration of freedom of expression in 🇹🇷 has reached new, deeply worrying levels, characterised by numerous blatant violations of standards.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/t%C3%BCrkiye-reverse-a-critically-hostile-environment-for-freedom-of-expression-and-for-journalists-human-rights-defenders-and-civil-society

🇸🇾 : Abuses, Impunity in Turkish-Occupied Territories

🇹🇷 bears responsibility for the serious abuses and potential war crimes committed by members of its own forces and local armed groups it supports in Turkish-occupied territories of northern Syria.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/29/syria-abuses-impunity-turkish-occupied-territories

HRW : “We Will Find You”
A Global Look at How Governments Repress Nationals Abroad

🇹🇷 ’s intelligence service had abducted 80 Turkish nationals from 18 countries for their alleged links to the Gülen movement.

Human Rights Watch is aware of several cases in which Turkish authorities abducted Turkish nationals and removed them to Türkiye, bypassing legal processes and court orders abroad.

https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/02/22/we-will-find-you/global-look-how-governments-repress-nationals-abroad

32 years ago today, 613 civilians, including 106 women and 63 children, were killed in one night in town of .

We commemorate those who lost their lives in the and share Azerbaijan's deep grief.

Turkish rights groups under ‘increasing’ pressure:

🇹🇷 ’s government is putting independent groups under increasing restrictions, including smear tactics, administrative harassment and the threat of criminal prosecution.

https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/02/22/turkish-right-group-under-increasing-pressure-report/

‘Exodus’, a movie tackling global refugee crisis, premieres at Berlinale

Exodus, a movie focusing on the stories of a group of people forced to flee from 🇹🇷 to Europe to seek asylum, had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin Film Festival in 🇩🇪 .

https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/02/20/exodus-movie-tackling-global-refugee-crisis-premieres-at-berlinale/

More Than 20 Percent of the World’s Governments Engage in Transnational Repression

The governments of 🇨🇳 , 🇹🇷 , 🇹🇯 , 🇷🇺 , and 🇪🇬 rank as the most prolific perpetrators of transnational repression overall since 2014.

https://freedomhouse.org/article/new-data-more-20-percent-worlds-governments-engage-transnational-repression

🇹🇷 : “We will continue to speak up, until our voices are heard”

Since 1995, relatives of over 1,300 people who have been forcibly disappeared in Türkiye have gathered every Saturday in Galatasaray Square in Istanbul to ask where the victims are.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/news/t%C3%BCrkiye-we-will-continue-to-speak-up-until-our-voices-are-heard

Alexei , 47, died in prison, 🇷🇺 says

"If someone dies in the custody of the State, the presumption is that the State is responsible."

As HRD, we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, family and loved ones.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146627

1,300 migrants dead or missing off 🇹🇳 in 2023

The 🇺🇳 ’s International Organization for Migration said 2,498 people died or went missing while trying to cross the central Mediterranean last year, a 75-percent increase on 2022.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2459651/middle-east

🇵🇾 pursues conviction of Stroessner dictatorship’s torturer, Eusebio Torres

Victims of the former police officer will testify at his trial for alleged crimes against humanity perpetrated in 1976.

https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-12/paraguay-pursues-conviction-of-stroessner-dictatorships-torturer-eusebio-torres.html

🇦🇿 : Repression escalating ahead of presidential elections

The escalating crackdown by Azerbaijani authorities ahead of the elections is not just an attack on individual rights, it’s a widespread, coordinated assault on civil society and the rule of law.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/azerbaijan-repression-escalating-ahead-of-presidential-elections/

Mapping Solitary Confinement project

The project aims to find out more about the use - or non-use - of solitary confinement internationally.

It builds on the knowledge of in-country experts from across the globe.

Visit the website https://www.solitaryconfinement.org/

🇹🇷 : Ensure Accountability for Deaths in Earthquake

The February 6, 2023 earthquakes left more than 50,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands injured and displaced.

But not a single public official or elected mayor has yet faced trial.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/02/turkiye-ensure-accountability-deaths-earthquake

🇹🇷 BİANET MEDIA MONITORING REPORT - 2023 ASSESSMENT

Judicial pressure on journalists escalated with the 'disinformation law'

- 55 journalists were detained.

- 25 journalists were attacked.

- At least 13 journalists were sentenced to a total of 18 years, 8 months, and 25 days in prison and a total of 14,500 TL in fines.

https://bianet.org/haber/judicial-pressure-on-journalists-escalated-with-the-disinformation-law-291312

: Drone Strikes on Civilians Apparent War Crimes

Three Burkina Faso military drone strikes that the government claimed targeted Islamist fighters killed at least 60 civilians and injured scores more at two crowded markets and a packed funeral.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/01/25/burkina-faso-drone-strikes-civilians-apparent-war-crimes

Isn’t the Safe Haven the U.K. Wants

For Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the deal is not only a cash cow-it also helps him to escape accountability for Rwanda’s violent past.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/01/23/uk-rwanda-deal-migrant-crisis-sunak-kagame/