News on Human Rights Violations
Afghanistan
1- UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett and Dorothy Estrada-Tanck, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, said in a joint report that the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan was the worst globally and that their treatment in the country could amount to “gender apartheid.”
2. Law students and young lawyers in Afghanistan are filing reports with JURIST on the situation there after the Taliban takeover. Here, a Staff Correspondent for JURIST in Kabul reports on how the human rights situation in the country continues to deteriorate. For privacy and security reasons, we are withholding our Correspondent’s name. The text has only been lightly edited to respect the author’s voice.
3. Since seizing control of Afghanistan a year ago, the Taliban have mounted a sustained attack on human rights, persecuting minority groups, violently clamping down on peaceful protests, suppressing women’s rights and using extrajudicial executions and disappearances to spread fear among Afghans, Amnesty International said in a new briefing today.
4. (New York) – A United Nations Security Council-mandated independent assessment of the international approach to the crisis in Afghanistan should prioritize human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, Human Rights Watch said today in a submission to the special coordinator leading the assessment.
5. On July 17, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released an update report covering May and June of this year. The publication documents lashings, detentions of members of the press, retaliatory killings of former members of the security forces, and new restrictions on women’s social and economic rights.
China
1- Canada’s federal ethics watchdog has launched investigations into allegations that Nike Canada and Dynasty Gold, a gold mining company, benefited from Uyghur forced labor in their China-based operations. Nike said they no longer have ties to companies accused of using Uyghur forced labor while Dynasty Gold announced that the allegations arose after they left the region.
2- Volkswagen announced its intentions to pursue an “independent audit” of its plant in Xinjiang, the region where Chinese authorities carried out crimes against humanity targeting the Uyghur Muslims.
3- On July 9, Uyghurs staged a protest march in Montréal to raise awareness about China’s persecution of Uyghurs.
Turkey
1- Arrested Lawyers Initiative (ALI) and Human Rights Defenders (HRD) have published a report on the impact of Decree Laws (KHK) on society in Turkey. The report, which states that discrimination and exclusion still continue after years, draws attention to the fact that the people with the decree laws are left to a kind of ‘civilian death’.
1- The judges of the Turkey Tribunal, a civil society-led, symbolic international tribunal, announced their verdict on human rights violations in Turkey, saying that the torture and abductions perpetrated by Turkish state officials since July 2016 could amount to crimes against humanity in an application lodged with an appropriate international body.
2- Article about Bilal Konakci, who has a ’98 percent disabled report ‘, saying ‘ he cannot stay in prison but has been jailed for more than 7 months.
1-Erdogan’s statement stating that the AHİM’s decision of violation of rights about Selahattin Demirtas will not be complied with.
2-Statement by Erdoğan against the acquittal in the Gezi trial against Osman Kavala
3-News about the local court’s refusal to recognize the Constitutional Court’s decision of violation of rights against Enis Berberoğlu
4-The news about Judge Yıldırım Turan, who was arrested after July 15, about the individual application he made against the non-implementation of the violation decision given by the ECtHR, the decision of the Constitutional Court that there was no unlawfulness in the non-implementation of the ECHR decision.
5-Interview with Mehmet Yılmaz, Deputy Chairman of the HSK, where the filing activity against judges and prosecutors who were dismissed from the profession after 15 July has been carried out since 2014 and many more unlawfulness have been explained.
6-The news of Erdogan’s clear instruction to the judiciary, after the acquittal and release of Lieutenant General Metin Iyidil, who was arrested after July 15. As a result of the statement, the person named was arrested again, although he was acquitted.
7-The news that the court committee was dismissed due to the acquittal and release decisions of Lieutenant General Metin Iyidil.
8-The news of the statement of 25 bar associations explaining that the executive is directly interfering with the judiciary.
9-The news of the speech in which President Trump thanked Erdogan for the release of Pastor Brunson.
10-The news of the speech of the President of the Supreme Court that the trust in the judiciary has fallen to 30%.
11-News that the HDP closure case was opened as a result of the AKP-MHP’s instructions.
12-News that the person who allegedly insulted AKP deputy Özlem Zengin was arrested for insulting the president, as the offense of insult remains under arrest ban.
13-News of Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu’s messages targeting the President of the Constitutional Court about an annulled legal regulation
14-The tweets about Meral Kaçmaz, who was forcibly brought to Turkey by Mit with her family from Pakistan. Because there is no search record, the MIT instructed the judicial authorities to open an investigation in order to take action.
15-The transcript of Erdogan’s speech to the judiciary about Selahattin Demirtas.
16-The news of Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu’s speech demanding that the necessary action be taken by the judiciary about HDP deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, on the ground that he is a terrorist.
17-A news story about the meeting of the president of the court with Erdogan’s advisor during the hearing
18-News of the statement of the general assembly of the European judicial network that the HSK is a so-called committee.
19- Relatives of sick prisoners and convicts claim that prison practices threaten the right to life during the epidemic. Human rights defenders and lawyers say, “Sick prisoners should be released.”
20- Turkish authorities should urgently carry out an effective investigation into credible testimony from a man in pretrial detention that state agents forcibly disappeared him for nine months and tortured him, Human Rights Watch said.
1-The news about the Deputy President of the Constitutional Court, Alpaslan Altan, that the decision of the ECtHR regarding the violation of rights could not be implemented.
2-The news about the letter written by the prosecutor Serdar Coşkun to the general directorate of police on 16 July at 1.00, about the detention of around 3000 judges and prosecutors.
3-A news story about the lack of independence of the judiciary in Turkey
4- The letter written by Hatice Sahnaz, who had given birth behind the bars she was kept in.
1-News about the local court’s refusal to recognize the Constitutional Court’s decision about the violation of rights of Sahin Alpay.
2-In the booklet prepared by the Ministry of Justice for judges and prosecutors, there is an instruction that consent must be obtained from the HSYK before the release decision is made.
3-The news of the speech in which Erdogan demanded that the American priest, Brunson, who is imprisoned in Turkey, be exchanged for Fethullah Gülen, and that he would order Brunson’s release if the United States takes a step in this direction.
4- The death of Halime Gülsu, a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, who was imprisoned in Mersin Tarsus Prison, caused outrage on social media. Some politicians and activists in Turkey called on the Ministry of Justice to shed light on the incident.
1-An article describing the process of not implementing the release orders for 21 journalists who were released in the case they were tried, and the process of re-arrest by opening a new investigation against the same people.
2-The news about the dismissal of the judges and the prosecutor of the trial, who released the 21 journalists described above.
3-Period photograph depicting the moment when the President of the Constitutional Court greets Erdogan.
4-News about the exile of the judge who signed the annulment decision due to the lack of adequate investigation about the accused, who was sentenced just because he had Bylock on his phone.
5-The news of Erdogan’s speech stating that Journalist Deniz Yücel will not be released and that he is a terrorist and spy.
6-The news of the article, with the secret phrase of the ministry of justice, includes the filing of the speeches of HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas by the prosecutor’s office.
7- Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a Human Rights Activist who was dismissed by decree-law, shared information he obtained by investigating the incident of the Maden Family.
8- Article about the Turkish Kacmaz family who had disappeared in Pakistan, and suspicion turned to intelligence agencies.
1-Erdoğan’s statement that the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding Can Dündar’s violation of rights should not be implemented by the local court.
2-News of the government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus’ statement that the judiciary is subordinate to the President.
3-The news that all the members of the High Judiciary stood up and applauded when Erdogan entered the hall at the opening of the judicial year held at the Presidential Palace.
4-News about the heads of the High Judiciary collecting tea leaves with Erdogan.
5-The letter stating that the MIT gave instructions to the prosecutors.
6-The news explaining that the HSYK’s observer status in the European judicial councils network was suspended because it is not independent.
1-Erdogan’s statement stating that he gave instructions to the judiciary against the news of the Cumhuriyet newspaper on the stopping of the Mit trucks.
2-News that the judges who ordered the release of Hidayet Karaca and the police officers were arrested just because of this decision.
Ukraine
1- GENEVA, Feb 27 (Reuters) – The U.N. rights chief condemned Russia’s “senseless” invasion of Ukraine on Monday at the start of a Human Rights Council session at which countries want to strengthen scrutiny of Moscow’s alleged war crimes and raise China’s treatment of Muslim Uyghurs.
2- WARSAW, 17 July 2023 – Allegations of arbitrary imprisonment and enforced disappearances of civilians living in areas under occupation are occurring with alarming frequency, with widespread reports of the use of torture and ill-treatment, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today in a new report summarising its ongoing monitoring of violations of international law following Russia’s military attack in Ukraine. According to the many credible testimonies, torture and ill-treatment have been widespread in detention in all Russian-occupied areas.
3- GENEVA — Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered “the most massive violations of human rights” in the world today, the head of the United Nations said Monday, as the war pushed into its second year with no end in sight and tens of thousands of people dead.
4- Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that his office had documented arbitrary detention of more than 900 civilians between February 24 and May 23 this year. The summary executions of 77 civilians in detention were also documented, along with widespread torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence by Russian security personnel. Türk urged Russia to respect humanitarian law in Ukraine.