Pregnant Women in Prison – Nazife Karakoç, Leyla Arslan
Profile VICTIM : Nazife Karakoç, Leyla ArslanINCIDENT : Pregnant prisoners in prison are subjected to mistreatment due to inadequate care conditions.LOCATION : Edirne, TurkeySITUATION : They were tried on allegations of membership in the Gülen movement. Case Summary Nazife Karakoç and Leyla Arslan, who are held in Edirne Prison, were tried in cases filed against […]
Prisoners Who Died in Custody – Sezai Aksu
Profile VICTIM : Sezai AksuINCIDENT : The cancer-stricken prisoner held in pretrial detention died in the hospital where he had been taken for treatment.LOCATION : Van, TürkiyeSITUATION : The details of the case file remain unknown. Case Summary Sezai Aksu, a 42-year-old prisoner held in Van F-Type Closed Prison, died at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University […]
Why the Digital Age Demands an International Approach to Regulating Hate Speech
Introduction In an era where communication travels across continents in milliseconds, hate speech has escaped the boundaries of national jurisdictions. A slur posted in one country can target a community thousands of kilometres away, amplified by algorithms and reproduced endlessly in digital memory. This phenomenon, often described as time–space compression, makes traditional, nationally focused regulation […]
Prisoners Who Died in Custody – Mehmet Çataklı
Profile VICTIM : Mehmet ÇataklıINCIDENT : The prisoner, who had been held in pre-trial detention for 7 months, died in prison after suffering a heart attack.LOCATION : İstanbul, TurkeySITUATION : He was accused in the case known as the “girls’ case,” allegedly for paying his daughter’s rent and sending her allowances; his trial was ongoing […]
Critically Ill Prisoners in Turkish Prisons – Hacı Alağaş
Profile VICTIM : Hacı AlağaşINCIDENT : After suffering a heart attack, the prisoner was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for one week with his hands and feet shackled.LOCATION : Adana, TurkeySITUATION : The details of the case file remain unknown. Case Summary Hacı Alağaş, a 68-year-old ill prisoner held in Suluca No. […]
Prisoners Who Died in Custody – Süleyman Yıldırım
Profile VICTIM : Süleyman YıldırımINCIDENT : The prisoner, whose medical treatment was delayed in prison and who was released on his deathbed, has passed away.LOCATION : İzmir, TurkeySITUATION : Sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison on alleged affiliation with the Gülen movement. Case Summary Attorney Süleyman Yıldırım, who was held in Denizli […]
Violations of Probation and Conditional Release Rights – Seyda Şimşek
Profile VICTIM : Seyda ŞimşekINCIDENT : Although she completed her prison sentence, her release has been repeatedly postponed on the grounds that she allegedly “did not attend a required exam.”LOCATION : Diyarbakır, TurkeySITUATION : Details of the alleged offense are unknown; she was sentenced to life imprisonment. Case Summary The release of Seyda Şimşek, a […]
Critically Ill Prisoners in Turkish Prisons – Mehmet Gürler
Profile VICTIM : Mehmet GürlerINCIDENT : Despite an ATK (Forensic Medicine Institute) report confirming “disability” and “permanent illness,” the prisoner—who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS)—remains incarcerated.LOCATION : İstanbul, TurkeySITUATION : Sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of “Attempting to Overthrow the Constitutional Order by Force.” Case Summary Dismissed by a decree law (KHK), Staff Lieutenant Colonel […]
Inadequate Living Conditions in Prison – Gümüşhane E-Type Prison
Profile VICTIM : Ill and disabled prisoners held in Gümüşhane E-Type PrisonINCIDENT : The wards housing ill and disabled prisoners lack emergency call buttons.LOCATION : Gümüşhane, Turkey Case Summary Inspections carried out at the Gümüşhane E-Type Closed Penal Institution revealed that the wards where ill and disabled prisoners are housed do not have grab bars […]
OTHERS’ submission to UN Human Rights Committee in response to its call for input on Freedom of Association
We have submitted a series of detailed civil society findings to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in response to its call for input for Draft General Comment No. 38 on Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (freedom of association), contributing to the Committee’s effort to clarify States’ obligations in […]