IAHRAG, London Advocacy, Human Rights Solidarity, Aktion für Flüchtlingshilfe, Human Rights Defenders e.V., Verein Weltanwälte, Broken Chalk and Maloca Internationale, NGOs and civil society organizations, seize the opportunity to call for the attention of the Human Rights Council members on the resurgence of systematic torture in Turkey.

IAHRAG, London Advocacy, Human Rights Solidarity, Aktion für Flüchtlingshilfe, Human Rights Defenders e.V., Verein Weltanwälte, Broken Chalk and Maloca Internationale, NGOs and civil society organizations, seize the opportunity of the sixth report of the Special
Rapporteur of Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment (A/HRC/49/50) to call for the attention of the Human Rights Council members on the resurgence of systematic torture in Turkey. Although the Government officially states its commitment to a “zero tolerance policy” and to investigate, prosecute and adequately punish the perpetrators, consistent reliable reports and testimonies of many victims show a very different reality.

Torture and ill-treatment became again a rising systematic practice in Turkey due to the violation of procedural guarantees, long term custody periods and negligence. The practice even became government policy, after the tentative attempted coup in 2016, on supporters of the Gülen Movement, leftists and pro-Kurdish supporters. Since 2016, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Turkey in 53 cases for violation of the right to be free from subjection to torture.

The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) announced its upcoming visit in Turkey in 2022. Similarly, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) was supposed to visit Turkey in 2020, a postponed visit due to the COVID-19 situation. 2022, as the year of the UPR mid-term review of the human rights Turkey’s record, shall be a decisive year to improve the human rights situation in Turkey. Both, the SPT and the WGAD, shall be supported in their interaction with the Turkish Government.

At the occasion of the upcoming 49th session of the Human Rights Council, IAHRAG, London Advocacy, Human Rights Solidarity, Aktion für Flüchtlingshilfe, Human Rights Defenders e.V., Verein Weltanwälte, Broken Chalk and Maloca Internationale, NGOs and civil society
organizations, requested the states to take action in order to:

• Urgently call on Turkey to comply with its obligations under the UNCAT, the OPCAT and the ECHR and more globally with its human rights obligations;
• Urgently call on Turkey to put an end to the widespread practice of torture on its territory, investigate and adequately punish the perpetrators and responsible of torture;
• Actively support the work and visits of the SPT and of the WGAD in Turkey.

Read the open call below:

Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.

Bill clinton