Türkiye
28.06.16
Urgent Interventions

Joint NGO Statement following the arrest of three human rights defenders



The undersigned organizations, members of the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN),express their deep concern about the recent arrest of the President of the Human Rights
Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), Ms. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, together with MM. Erol Önderoğlu(journalist and Turkey representative of Reporters Without Borders) and Ahmet Nesin (journalistand writer).

According to the HRFT and media reports, Ms. Korur Fincancı and her colleagues were arrestedon 20 June on charges of “terror propaganda”, following their participation in a solidaritycampaign with the Turkish newspaper Özgür Gündem. HRFT informs that following their arrest,they were detained in Bakırköy Women Closed Prison and Metris Prison respectively.

Ms. Korur Fincancı is one of the leading figures of the fight against torture and ill-treatment inTurkey. A well-respected academic and human rights defender, she contributed as a rehabilitationand forensic expert and human rights activist to the support of many torture victims, and to theglobal prevention of and fight against torture and ill-treatment, in Turkey and worldwide.

Ms. Korur Fincancı’s arrest takes place in a worrying context, where intimidation and harassmentof human rights defenders and other persons who support the fight against torture and ill-treatment in the country is widely reported. These actions have a repressive effect on activities ofcivil society, which performs essential functions in protecting human rights and upholdingdemocracy and the rule of law in Turkey.

In its Concluding Observations on Turkey of May 2016, the UN Committee against Torture (CAT)expressed that it was “seriously concerned about numerous consistent reports of intimidation andharassment of and violence against human rights defenders, journalists and medical doctors whoprovide assistance to victims of tortureand numerous reports received of arbitrary detention ofjournalists and human rights defenders on terrorism-related charges [...]”. The CAT further urgedTurkey to refrain from detaining and prosecuting journalists and human rights defenders as ameans of intimidating them or discouraging them from freely reporting on human right issues” and“ensure an independent review of cases in which journalists and human rights defenders arepresently on trial or appealing sentences handed down against them for membership in, engagingin propaganda for, or facilitating the activities of a terrorist organization [...]”.


Together with the HRFT, the undersigned organizations call on Turkey to:

1. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. ŞebnemKorur Fincancı, Mr. Erol Önderoğlu and Mr. Ahmet Nesin,

2. Release them immediately and unconditionally, and drop all charges against them sincetheir detention is arbitrary and solely aims to prevent freedom of expression and their humanrights activities in solidarity with press freedom,

3. Put an end to all acts of harassment, intimidation including at the judicial level, against allhuman rights defenders and journalists,

4. Put an end to the crackdown on human rights defenders in line with Turkey’s internationalcommitments,

5. Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human RightsDefenders,

6. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified byTurkey.



Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT)

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

European Association for the Defence of Human Rights (AEDH)

EuroMedRights

Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF)

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatoryfor the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT)International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR)
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory forthe Protection of Human Rights Defenders