Human rights in Turkey are in peril following a bloody failed coup attempt on July 15. The Turkish authorities’ reaction was swift and brutal, unleashing a crackdown of exceptional proportions that has continued after a state of emergency declared five days later.
Amnesty International has been on the ground in Istanbul and Ankara to document human rights violations amid these events. Here are some alarming statistics on the situation:
At least 208 people were killed and more than 1,400 injured amid the failed coup attempt in Istanbul and Ankara, according to government accounts.
More than 10,000 people have been detained since the failed coup.
More than 45,000 people have been suspended or removed from their jobs, including police, judges and prosecutors, and others.
42 arrest warrants were issued for journalists (as of July 25, 2016) and six have been detained (as of July 26).
20 news websites were blocked in the days following the coup attempt.
25 media houses had their licenses revoked as of July 22; dozens of journalists had their press cards cancelled.
48 hours: the length of time Turkish police in Ankara and Istanbul have reportedly been holding detainees in stress positions. Detainees have been denied food, water and medical treatment, and verbally abused and threatened. Some have been subjected to severe beatings and torture, including rape.
3 months: the initial period of state of emergency imposed late on July 20, granting the Prime Minister and his cabinet the power to rule by decree and bypass Parliament.
30 days: the pre-charge detention limit was increased from four to 30 days on July 23, in the first decree issued under the state of emergency.
15: the Article of the Turkish Constitution which outlines that the authorities cannot “suspend” the European Convention on Human Rights. Even during a state of emergency, they can only derogate some rights.
0: the number of independent human rights monitors with access to detention facilities in Turkey after its National Human Rights Institution was abolished in April 2016.