On June 7, 2022, the rectorship of the Ankara based Middle East Technical University (METU) sent an email to all students, declaring the campus-based Pride march on June 10, 2022 ‘categorically banned’, threatening the participants with police intervention if the march proceeds. The rectorship’s action represents an unjustifiable attempt to restrict the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly of METU students and staff and must be reversed.
On April 25, 2022, civil society leader Osman Kavala who has been imprisoned on pretrial detention since November 2017, was convicted for “attempting to overthrow the government” and sentenced to aggravated life in prison; his seven co-defendants each received a sentence of 18 years, allegedly for aiding Osman Kavala and were immediately remanded in prison. Amnesty International calls on the Chief Prosecutor for the Istanbul Regional Appeals Court to support and not to oppose any application or request of Osman Kavala, Mücella Yapıcı, Çiğdem Mater, Mine Özerden, Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, and Hakan Altınay all currently in prison while they appeal their unjust convictions.
On February 16, 2022, Amnesty International USA’s Turkey Advocacy Specialist Deniz Yuksel addressed members of the U.S. Helsinki Commission during a briefing on “Conflict of Interest? Foreign Policy and Human …
Nine people, the majority university students, are in pre-trial detention and 27 others under house arrest in Turkey for participating in peaceful protests following the appointment of Professor Melih Bulu as rector of Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University on 1 January 2021. Those deprived of their liberty, including under house arrest, simply for exercising their right to peaceful assembly must be released immediately and unconditionally.
Hüseyin Galip Küçüközyiğit, a former legal advisor at the Prime Ministry who was dismissed following the 2016 coup attempt, has been missing since 29 December 2020. His family suspect him to have been abducted and subjected to enforced disappearance and all their efforts to locate him since have been in vain. The authorities have denied that he is in official custody. Turkish authorities must promptly investigate to determine the whereabouts of Hüseyin Galip Küçüközyiğit and urgently inform his family.
On 1 December, Mehmet Sıddık Meşe was allegedly subjected to a severe beating by guards in a prison in the Turkish city of Dıyarbakır. He was denied access to urgent medical care and to examination by medical forensic staff. On 9 December, the prosecutor decided not to prosecute the suspected perpetrators based on the prison doctor’s report. Mehmet Sıddık Meşe requires access to adequate medical care and a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment must be launched.
The trial of three police officers accused of killing prominent human rights lawyer Tahir Elçi presents a long overdue chance for justice, Amnesty International said today. On November 28,2015, Tahir …
Turkish civil society activist Osman Kavala was arrested in October 2017 and continues to face politically-motivated charges. Kavala has been jailed solely for his nonviolent activism and philanthropy. Since his detention, …
Following a majority court ruling to convict Taner Kılıç for ‘membership of the Fethullah Gülen terrorist organization’ and to convict Özlem Dalkıran, İdil Eser and Günal Kurşun for ‘assisting the Fethullah Gülenterrorist organization’, Andrew Gardner, …
Ahead of the May 17 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) Amnesty International calls on the government of Turkey to take urgent action to counter the increasing number …
