On October 14, 2020, President Erdoğan attacked the Turkish Medical Association (Türk Tabipler Birliği – TTB) and its news Chair, Prof. Şebnem Korur-Finacancı, referring to her as “someone from a terrorist organisation.” The Netherlands Helsinki Committee condemns this attack on forensic phyiscian and prominent human rights defender Prof. Şebnem Korur-Finacancı, and on the Association she has come to represent.
The new bill of indictment issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against Osman Kavala, a defender of human rights and peace, was accepted by the Istanbul 36th High Criminal Court on 8 October 2020, and the court ruled that Kavala’s pre-trial detention shall continue. Thus, a new phase of Osman Kavala’s unjust and unlawful detention has commenced.
Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Chair Prof. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı has said that President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks against her "are not on their agenda."
Following the acceptance of a new indictment by the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No.36 against civil society leader Osman Kavala, Amnesty International’s Europe Director Nils Muiznieks said:
"Having been in prison for almost three years, Osman Kavala is now facing a new trial under an absurd new charge of ‘espionage’. With this new indictment, Osman Kavala faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole as well as up to an additional 20 years for ‘espionage’. Kafkaesque is an overused cliché but in the case of Osman Kavala, it is chillingly apt.
Hafıza Merkezi, Association for Monitoring Equal Rights and Netherlands Helsinki Committee kick-start a panel-series titled “Shrinking Democratic Space and International Solidarity”.
Turkish prosecutors are seeking an aggravated life sentence and an additional 20 years in prison for Osman Kavala in a second indictment filed against the renowned philanthropist. The indictment includes claims that Kavala organized the 2013 Gezi Park protests — allegations of which he was cleared back in February.
An investigation was launched into the chairman and 26 members of southeast Turkey’s Urfa Bar Association over a peaceful protest they held against Turkey’s new multiple bar association regulation. While the prosecutor’s office claimed the demonstration violated the code of civil gatherings, the chairman said they didn’t have any illegal slogans or signs present.
The government responded to the UN’s questions on discrimination and hatred against LGBTI+’s without saying LGBTI+ and claimed that there is no discrimination.
The Government of the Republic of Turkey responded to questions from independent experts and special rapporteurs of the United Nations (UN) on LGBTI+ rights in Turkey.
In a circular letter addressed to the 81 governor's offices across Turkey, the Ministry of Interior has announced that the events to be held by non-governmental organizations (NGO), professional organizations, unions and cooperatives have been postponed till December 1, 2020.
The General Assembly of the İstanbul Bar was scheduled for October 10-11.