{"id":4651,"date":"2019-11-05T08:58:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T08:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esithaklar.org\/?p=4651"},"modified":"2022-04-21T17:08:33","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T14:08:33","slug":"common-statement-on-repressions-targeting-human-rights-defenders-in-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.esithaklar.org\/eski\/2019\/11\/05\/common-statement-on-repressions-targeting-human-rights-defenders-in-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Statement on Repressions Targeting Human Rights Defenders In Turkey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Turkey Repressions Targeting Human Rights Defenders\nContinue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As human rights\norganizations, we are concerned over the consequences of the Operation Peace\nSpring launched on October 9, 2019, that has resulted in the curtailing of\nrights and freedoms, most severely the right to freedom of expression, and put immense\npressure on civil society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The police\nintervention against the Saturday\nMothers\u2019<\/strong> 759th gathering held on October 12, the first Saturday after the beginning\nof the operation, the investigations launched against MPs who called the\noperation \u201ca war\u201d, the arrests of 24 people out of 186 who had been taken into\ncustody within one week because of their social media posts according to the\ninformation provided by the Ministry of Interior, are of concern to civil\nsociety. These practices pose a threat to the right to freedom of expression\nand the right to freedom of assembly and protest enshrined in the Constitution\nand related law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to such\npractices and procedures that use the law as a harassment tool for individuals\nand institutions demanding peace, the lynching attempts that go way beyond\ncriticism and directly target those voicing criticisms pose a serious threat as\nwell. In this context, the statements of a well-known journalist in a TV\nprogram, targeting and insulting Eren\nKeskin<\/strong>, the co-chair of the Human Rights Association, pose a serious threat\nto life considering the fact that we have lost well-known figures of civil\nsociety, journalists and rights defenders as a result of attacks following\nsimilar attempts that painted them as targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being targeted,\nKeskin has received many threats, her house was raided and she was asked to provide\na statement on October 22. Keskin gave a police statement on charges of\n\u201cterrorist propaganda\u201d for statements she made on behalf of the Human Rights\nAssociation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eren Keskin is a\nrights defender, who has been fighting against grave violations of human rights\nand more specifically rights violations targeting women and has also been the\ntarget of excessive punishments in the context of the right to freedom of\nexpression. Only in October, a fine of TRY 50,000 was imposed on her in a case\nwhere she stood trial on similar charges. It was announced that if she fails to\npay the required amount in installments until the end of the year, she will be\nsubject to probation measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights defender\nNurcan Baysal<\/strong>\u2019s house was raided by\nmore than 30 police officers on October 19 for her \u201csocial media posts\u201d.\nSimilarly, Zeynep Ceren Boztoprak<\/strong>, an\nexecutive of \u0130HD\u2019s Istanbul Branch, was called in to provide a statement on\ncharges of \u201cpropaganda for a terrorist organization\u201d on October 21. Human\nrights defender Nurcan Kaya<\/strong> was\ntaken under custody on the morning of October 27 and released with an\ninternational travel ban after giving her statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover,\npressures on civil society activities not only include criticisms against the\nOperation Peace Spring. These pressures and bans have been increasing in recent\nyears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference on\n\u201cSocial, Cultural and Economic History of Kayseri and the Region\u201d, which was announced by the Hrant Dink Foundation<\/strong> weeks ago to take\nplace on October 18, 19 in Kayseri, was banned by the Governorate of Kayseri.\nLater on, following the decision to move the conference to Istanbul, this time,\nthe conference was banned by the \u015ei\u015fli District Governorate on October 17. As a\nresult, a scientific conference could not to find a host-city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As shown by these\ndevelopments in recent weeks, members of civil society are targeted with a\ndisregard for free speech, creating new restrictions and limitations on civil society.\nRights organizations responsible for documenting, monitoring rights violations\nand supporting victims to facilitate their access to justice are punished for\nrights violations they document and make public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these\ndevelopments reveal a pattern of systematic attacks against civil society\u2019s ordinary\nand legitimate activities carried out in accordance with the law. Preventing\ninstitutions and individuals that have a responsibility to protect and consider\nthe right to freedom of expression from carrying out their duty will only\nresult in heightening public opposition as evidenced by many examples in Turkey\nand around the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defending human\nrights is a right guaranteed by national and international law. These pressures\nexerted on human rights defenders and civil society organizations must stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n