Conviction and sentence against Dr. Serdar Küni (TİHV)

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URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY

TUR 004 /1116 / OBS 092.1

Sentence /

Provisional release
Turkey
April 26, 2017

The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requestsyour urgent intervention in the following situation in Turkey.

New information:

The Observatory has beeninformed by reliable sources about the conviction and sentence against Dr.Serdar Küni, Cizre Representative of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey(TİHV) and former President of the Şırnak Chamber of Medicine.

According to theinformation received, on April 24, 2017, Dr. Serdar Küni was sentenced to fouryears and two months of imprisonment by the Şırnak Second HeavyPenal Court under Article 220/7 which states that “a person who knowingly andwillingly assists the organization but is not within the hierarchical structureof the organization is punished as a member of the organization ”. His sentenceis related to his work as a physician, providing health service in Cizre whichexperienced intensified armed operations[1].

Dr. Serdar Küni who hadbeen detained since his arrest on October 19, 2016 (see backgroundinformation), was released pending final an appeal decision of the Gaziantepregional high court. As of publishing this appeal, no date for the decision hadbeen set.

The Observatory stronglycondemns the sentencing of Dr. Serdar Küni as it only aims at sanctioning hislegitimate human rights activities.

Accordingly, theObservatory urges Turkish authorities to put an end to all forms of harassment,including at the judicial level, against Dr. Serdar Küni.

Backgroundinformation:

On October 19, 2016, Dr.Serdar Küni was heard by the Cizre Prosecutor, after an arrest warrant wasissued against him. He was arrested on the spot and further detained at theprison of Şırnak.

His trial opened beforethe Şırnak Second Heavy Penal Court on March 13, 2017. During thefirst hearing, no concrete evidence was provided against Dr. Serdar Küni andwitnesses who provided testimonies stated that these had been obtained undertorture. The hearing was postponed to April 24, 2017.

Actions requested:

Please write to theauthorities in Turkey, urging them to:

i. Put an end to all formsof harassment, including at judicial level, against Dr. Serdar Küni, as well as all human rights defenders in Turkey;

ii. Guarantee inall circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Dr. Serdar Künias well as of all human rights defenders in Turkey;

iii. Comply with all theprovisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, inparticular with its Articles 1, 6(a), 9, 11, 12.2;

iv. Ensure in allcircumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordancewith international human rights standards and international instrumentsratified by Turkey.

Addresses:

· President ofTurkey, Recep Mr. Tayyip Erdoğan, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi 06560Beştepe-Ankara, Phone: (+90 312) 525 55 55, Fax: (+90 312) 525 58 31, E-mail:contact@tccb.gov.tr

· PrimeMinister of Turkey, Mr. Binali Yıldırım, Vekaletler Caddesi Başbakanlık, Kızılay/AnkaraPhone: +90 (312) 422 10 00; Fax +90 (312) 403 62 82 Email:ozelkalem@basbakanlik.gov.tr

· Minister ofForeign Affairs, Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Dr. Sadık Ahmet Cad, No: 8 Balgat/Ankara - Turkey 06100; Phone : +90 (312) 292 10 00

· Minister ofJustice, Mr. Bekir Bozdağ, 06659 Kizilay, Ankara; Phone: +90 (312) 417 77 70;Fax: +90 (0312) 419 33 70; E-mail: info@adalet.gov.tr

· Minister ofInterior, Mr. Süleyman Soylu, Bakanlıklar Ankara; Phone: +90 (312) 422 40 00;Fax: 90 312 418 1795; Email: ozelkalem@icisleri.gov.tr

· Minister ofHealth, Mr. Recep Akdağ, Mithatpaşa Cad. Sıhhıye / Ankara 06434-Turkey; Phone:+90 (312) 585 10 00; eposta@saglik.gov.tr

· AmbassadorIzzet Selim Yenel, Diplomatic Mission of Turkey to the European Union inBrussels, Avenue des Arts 36-38, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium; Fax: + 32 2 511 04 50

· AmbassadorMehmet Ferden Çarikçi, Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations inGeneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28B 1211 Geneva 19, Tel: +41 22 918 50 80;Fax: +41 22 734 08 59; Email: mission.turkey@ties.itu.int

Please also write to thediplomatic mission or embassy of Turkey in your respective country.

***

Paris-Geneva, April 26,2017

Kindly inform us of anyaction undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 byFIDH and OMCT. The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent orremedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCTare both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human RightsDefenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.

To contact theObservatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and faxFIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80

· Tel and faxOMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

[1] Cizre has witnessed unprecedented destruction followingclashes which took place during a curfew lasting over 78 days, at the beginningof 2016. In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad AlHussein urged in particular “the Turkish authorities to respect the fundamentalrights of civilians in its security operations and to promptly investigate thealleged shooting of a group of unarmed people”. See: Turkey: Zeid concernedby actions of security forces and clampdown on media, February 1, 2016,available at:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17002&LangID=E