Rights Violations Behind Bars: Mehmet Hanifi EMEÇ
Profile VICTIM : Mehmet Hanifi EMEÇINCIDENT : The 46-year-old prisoner with MS is not receiving necessary medical care.LOCATION : Gaziantep, TurkeySITUATION : Sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison as part of investigations into the Gülen movement. Case Summary Mehmet Hanifi Emeç, a dismissed police officer under emergency decree […]
Rights Violations Behind Bars: Mahsum Yüksekbağ
Profile VICTIM : Mahsum YÜKSEKBAĞINCIDENT : The right to health of a seriously ill prisoner is being obstructed.LOCATION : Erzurum, TurkeySITUATION : Sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on charges of “Membership in an Armed Organization.” Case Summary The health condition of Mahsum Yüksekbağ, held in Erzurum Dumlu No. 1 High-Security Closed […]
Rights Violations Behind Bars: Besra Erol
Profile VICTIM : Besra EROLINCIDENT : The conditional release of a 67-year-old seriously ill prisoner is obstructed on arbitrary grounds.LOCATION : Elazığ, TurkeySITUATION : Arrested on April 30, 2019, on charges of “making propaganda for an organization”. Case Summary Besra Erol, 67, who is held in Elazığ Women’s Closed Prison, suffers […]
Submisson of Hate Crime Cases of 2024 in Turkey to the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
Solidarity With OTHERS has submitted its report to OSCE under hate crime statistics call. The report documents various hate crimes and incidents of hate speech in Turkey, revealing a troubling pattern of state-sanctioned and socially reinforced discrimination targeting multiple minority groups. The documented cases involve both physical violence and systemic hate speech, with perpetrators often […]
Critically Ill Prisoners in Turkish Prisons, Violations of Probation and Conditional Release Rights – Yılmaz Çerçel
Profile VICTIM : Yılmaz ÇerçelINCIDENT : The release of a prisoner suffering from schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease was prevented.LOCATION : Eskişehir, TurkeySITUATION : He was sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of “undermining the unity and integrity of the state.” Case Summary Yılmaz Çerçel, who is currently held in Eskişehir Prison, was tried in […]
UN Expert Warns of Counter-Terrorism Abuses Targeting Civil Society in MENA Region
During a side event at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, issued a stark warning about the growing misuse of counter-terrorism frameworks across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Speaking virtually, Saul criticized […]
UN Expert Condemns Türkiye’s Ongoing Misuse of Anti-Terror Laws Against Human Rights Defenders
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, has expressed grave concern over Türkiye’s continued use of counter-terrorism laws to imprison peaceful human rights defenders and lawyers, calling it a blatant violation of international human rights obligations. In a statement released this week, Lawlor condemned the long-term detention of nine […]
UN Working Group Declares Detention of Former Turkish Air Force Commander, Akın Öztürk, Arbitrary
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued an opinion declaring that the ongoing detention of Akin Öztürk, former Commander of the Turkish Air Force, is arbitrary and in violation of international law. The Group called on the Government of Türkiye to release him immediately and ensure accountability for the violations of his rights. […]
Türkiye’s Human Rights Record Under Scrutiny as UN Committee Against Torture Reviews Fifth Periodic Report
Solidarity with OTHERS has submitted two reports to the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) as part of Türkiye’s fifth periodic review. The first report documents systematic torture, enforced disappearances, humiliating strip searches, and arbitrary detentions targeting members of the Gülen movement and the Kurdish minority, pointing to the authorities’ persistent failure to investigate or prosecute […]
Open Letter to the Newly Elected President of the Court of Cassation of Turkey
An Open Letter to Mr. Ömer Kerkez, the newly elected President of the Court of Cassation of Turkey, has been communicated by International Human Rights Organizations and Legal Professionals. 📌The letter extends congratulations to Mr. Kerkez on his new position as president and highlights the critical importance of judicial independence and impartiality. It addresses concerns […]