18 May 2021 marks the second anniversary of the torture incident which took place in Sanliurfa province of Turkey between 18 May 2019 and 28 May 2019, and victimized some fifty individuals.
Within the scope of Turkey Human Rights Accountability Project, the Arrested Lawyers Initiative summarily translated the report of Human Rights Center of Sanliurfa Bar Association to English. We also worked with renowned Italian artist Gianluca Costantini who illustrated the accounts of the victims.
Impunity provisions enacted with Decree Law nos. 667, 668, 696 During the state of emergency rule between 2016 and 2018, the Turkish Government enacted thirty-two emergency decrees which were later approved by the Turkish Parliament and have become ordinary… Read More ›
On 12 March 2020, an arrest warrant targeting thirteen lawyers was issued and several lawyers have been taken into custody in Turkey’s southeastern provinces of Diyarbakır and Urfa as part of an Urfa-based investigation. Most of the targeted lawyers are those who documented torture and ill-treatment incident took place in May of 2019 in Halfeti district of Sanliurfa province.
Prominent forensic expert, physician Sebmen Korur Fincanci warned about inadequate medical examination and documentation carried out on torture and ill-treatment complaints. She added that ‘inadequate medical documentation disrupts efforts to prevent torture and leaves us facing new torture allegations every day’.
The Arrested Lawyers Initiative published an advanced update of its report titled ‘Extradition to Turkey: One-way Ticket to Torture and Unfair Trial’ which was published in February of 2018.
Human Rights NGOs: Torture and Ill-treatment in custody have become systematic practice of Ankara Police. Report of Ankara Bar Association confirm the complaints of torture and ill-treatment.