On 13 December 2022, 18 human rights defenders will stand trial in Türkiye reportedly charged with “membership of an armed terrorist organisation”. I am deeply concerned that their case has been allowed to reach trial stage. 

The 18 HRDs are charged in relation with their current or previous membership of GÖÇİZDER, a non-governmental organisation working to highlight grave human rights violations that have occurred in the context of forced displacement in Türkiye and which works to help with the repatriation of victims.  

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Gönül Erden

UPDATED: 12/20/2023 - 14:01

Gönül Erden, the two-term co-chair of the Health and Social Work Labourers’ Union (SES) under the Confederation of Public Employees Union (KESK), has been detained many times during her chairmanship. Her latest detention was on May 25th, 2021, during a police raid on her home. Amongst the detainees on that day were 8 SES executives including the new co-chair of the union, Selma Atabey.

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Fatin Kanat

UPDATED: 07/11/2023 - 17:18

Rights defender and filmmaker Fatin Kanat has been a part of the struggle for rights in both fields for many years. After the 1980 coup, he was dismissed from his profession of teaching, arrested, tried, and sentenced to 15 years in prison due to his political views. He took part in the hunger strike that protested the enforcement of uniform clothing in F-type prisons. He endured torture. After his release from prison, he continued his cinema education and became one of the organizers of the International Labour Film Festival.

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GAZETE DUVAR

Ankara prosecutors have sought up to seven years and six months in jail for Turkish Medical Association (TTB) chair Şebnem Korur Fincancı over charge of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization" as part of a new indictment filed against her.

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Selma Atabey

UPDATED: 06/05/2023 - 14:02

The current Co-chair of the Health and Social Work Labourers’ Union (SES) Selma Atabey was detained on May 25th, 2021, during a police raid on her home. Amongst those detained that day was the former Co-chair of the union, Gönül Erden. A lawsuit was filed against them and Atabey was arrested following Gönül Erden. Eight SES executives are currently facing trial on the charges of “running a terrorist organization”, “being a member of a terrorist organization” and “creating propaganda for a terrorist organization”. 

OMCT

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your intervention in the following situation in Turkey.

JURIST

The Turkish Court of Cassation, the country’s highest appellate court, Tuesday overturned convictions against four human rights defenders including Honorary Chair of Amnesty International of Turkey, Taner Kılıç. All four were formerly charged with terrorism-related offenses.

BIANET

After fake news that she was the perpetrator of the Taksim bomb attack, Jiyan Tosun received many threatening phone calls. Her family members and another lawyer using a number registered under her name were also called. Tosun says only officials can access and leak such data.

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