International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, 26 June

Press Release: International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
26.06.2023


BERLIN – As the world observes the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June, HRD e.V. stands in solidarity with survivors of torture, reaffirming our commitment to the prevention and eradication of this heinous crime.

Torture is a grave violation of human rights, a deplorable act that inflicts severe physical and psychological pain on individuals. It leaves lasting scars, traumatizing victims and undermining the very fabric of society. On this important day, we raise our collective voices to advocate for the rights and dignity of torture survivors and to condemn torture in all its forms.

Our organization recognizes that the eradication of torture requires a multi-faceted approach. We call upon governments worldwide to uphold their obligations under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. We urge states to implement robust legal frameworks, strengthen oversight mechanisms, and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

In the context of Turkey, we note with concern the reports of human rights violations and allegations of torture. It is crucial for the Turkish government to ensure the protection of human rights and to thoroughly investigate any allegations of torture or ill-treatment. We call upon the authorities to take swift and transparent action to address these concerns and to provide justice and reparations to the victims.

We also emphasize the crucial role of civil society organizations, healthcare providers, and human rights defenders in supporting survivors of torture in Turkey. It is imperative to create a conducive environment where survivors can access comprehensive and specialized rehabilitative services, including medical care, psychological support, legal aid, and social reintegration programs.

Education and awareness play vital roles in preventing torture. HRD e.V. is dedicated to raising public awareness about the consequences of torture and the urgent need to combat it, including in Turkey. We encourage educational institutions, media outlets, and online platforms in Turkey to join us in promoting human rights education, fostering empathy, and challenging the culture of impunity that allows torture to persist.

On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, let us come together as a global community and reaffirm our commitment to promoting human dignity, justice, and compassion. We stand in solidarity with survivors of torture, supporting their healing journey and advocating for a world free from this abhorrent practice, including in Turkey.


HRD e.V.

TURKEY: ARBITRARY MASS DETENTIONS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

That authoritarian regimes intimidate, threaten or even carry out (or commission) assassinations against critical voices is no secret.

Silencing opposition or disagreeable figures such as journalists, human rights activists is of immense importance to autocrats and dictators for whom they are a thorn in the flesh. They are a threat to the arbitrariness of these rulers. The rulers have various apparatuses at their disposal to meet their aspirations in this regard.

One of these instruments, which the Turkish state implements today, is the mass wave of arrests, which is mainly directed at the Gülen movement.

Since 2014, the Turkish state apparatus has been targeting the Gülen movement and its sympathizers. One of the main tools used by the Turkish security authorities and judiciary is the daily waves of arbitrary arrests of people accused of being inspired by Gülen.

In total, more than 6,140 waves of mass arrests were carried out between 2014 and 2022, and more than 140,000 people were detained. On average, up to 60 people are detained every day in at least three operations.

In addition, we observe that more and more people are arrested for humanitarian aid. For example, on October 18, 2022, a new stage of unlawful arrests was initiated against 704 people -men, women, young and old- on the grounds that they were “trying to help the families of those in prison or released from prison”. This has unfortunately been the case for more than 3 years regarding the Gülen movement.

In our HRDfactsheet we have summarized facts and figures why this is to be judged as a crime against humanity and made various recommendations to remedy these human rights violations.

Erdbeben in der Türkei & Syrien

Wir unterstützen die Spendenaktion des karitativen Vereins Time to Help e.V., der seit vielen Jahren in unterschiedlichen Krisengebieten humanitäre Hilfe leistet. Aktuell wurde ein Spendenkonto eingerichtet, um mit Spenden den Betroffenen vor Ort so schnell wie möglich zu helfen. Spenden Sie jetzt und unterstützen Sie diese Arbeit! 

 

 

 

Bitte den QR-Code scannen um auf die website der Time To Help e.V. zu gelangen oder auf den Button unten clicken.

 

 

Time To Help e.V.

Die Weltweite Hexenjagd

Nirgends sicher vor Präsident Erdogan und seinem Machtapparat

Dass autoritäre Regime kritische Stimmen auch im Ausland einschüchtern, bedrohen oder gar gegen diese Attentate ausüben (oder in Auftrag geben) ist kein Geheimnis.

 

Oppositionelle oder unliebsame Persönlichkeiten wie Exiljournalisten grenzüberschreitend zum Schweigen zu bringen, ist für Autokraten und Diktatoren, denen sie ein Dorn im Auge sind, von immenser Bedeutung. Sie sind eine Gefahr für die Willkür in den jeweiligen Heimatländern. Die Machthaber verfügen über verschiedene Apparate, um ihren diesbezüglichen Bestrebungen nachzukommen. Wir stellen auch fest, dass Regierungen, die für grenzüberschreitende Unterdrückung bekannt sind, sich gegenseitig dabei unterstützen, Aktivisten und andere Exilanten einzuschüchtern, zu belästigen und zu schädigen.

 

Die grenzüberschreitende Repressionskampagne des türkischen Staates ist nicht nur wegen ihrer Intensität in den letzten Jahren, sondern auch wegen ihrer geographischen Ausdehnung im negativen Sinne bemerkenswert. In dem Maße, in dem sich die Türkei unter Präsident Erdoğan immer mehr zu einem gefestigten autoritären Staat entwickelt hat, in dem sich die überwältigende Macht im Präsidentenamt konzentriert, ist auch die Praxis der grenzüberschreitenden Repression extremer geworden.

 

Die türkische Regierung hat in ihren transnationalen Repressionsoperationen vor allem zwei Gruppen im Visier: die PKK, im weiteren Sinne regierungskritische Kurdinnen und Kurden, sowie die Gülen-Bewegung – und damit auch deren Sympathisantinnen und Sympathisanten.

In unserem HRDpaper werden wir die Politik und die Methoden der AKP-Regierung und Präsident Erdogans im Zusammenhang mit der kürzlich aktualisierten „Fahndungsliste für mutmaßliche Terroristen“ des türkischen Innenministeriums unter die Lupe nehmen. Wie Sie sehen werden, finden sich auf den aktualisierten, farblich kodierten Listen nun auch Exil-Journalisten wie Cevheri Güven und Can Dündar. Auch deutsche StaatsbürgerInnen, die hier geboren, aufgewachsen, studiert und beruflich erfolgreich sind, stehen auf der Liste.

 

Türkei & Interpol : Fakten und Erkenntnisse

THE TERM OF THE INQUIRY COMMISSION ON THE STATE OF EMERGENCY MEASURES (ICSEM) IS ENDING

The closure of the ICSEM is important, but there is no concrete change in favor of the victims...

The ICSEM, has taken away people’s faith in the law. In some cases, the ICSEM did not recognize the decision of the Constitutional Court, for example the prominent cases of the ‘Peace Academics’ who were dismissed for signing the ‘Peace Declaration’ were not reinstated.

Furthermore, the ICSEM, committed a constitutional violation and the right for a fair trial was usurped for six years. The abolition of the ICSEM will not fix anything. The ICSEM made many decisions based on the ‘opinion of the institution’. Now those institutions will take judicial action. What really needs to be solved is for citizens to have the right to a fair trial.  The institutional opinion is scandalous from the beginning. It is not clear who is authorized to issue this “institutional opinion”. It is an abstract evaluation. Now the Government is authorizing the institutions that gave those opinions, not to mention that there is no legal definition for the “institutional opinion” in the law.

Closing the ICSEM after 6 years and reassigning it to institutions will prolong the process even more. Institutions will also create a new unit for the files they have received. 6 years of unlawfulness of the ICSEM will be continued within the Ministries or relevant State Departments.

Unless there is a change in the understanding, it does not make much difference whether the ICSEM is abolished or handed over to the Ministries.

The judicial process needs to be accelerated. For 7 years, there are decisions pending in administrative courts. Not only the commission but also the administrative and appeal courts are politicized. Whatever the ICSEM decides, the courts make subjective decisions without any legal evaluation. The closure of the ICSEM is important, but there is no concrete change in favor of the victims.