The Stockholm Center for Freedom, a current Alliance member, has penned several recent news articles about human rights in Turkey, all of which contribute to its goals of promoting "the rule of law, democracy, and human rights" across the country. As the Turkish government limits public and individual freedom while silencing dissent, knowledge of these events and avenues toward challenging them prove paramount.
You can find links to the articles, alongside short descriptions, below. All come from the Center's website, which you can find here, and from its weekly newsletter, which you can sign up for on the website and find here.
Right to life of 1,326 people violated in first 7 months: opposition MP
An opposition lawmaker has revealed that the right to life of 1,326 people, including two minors, was violated in Turkey in the first seven months of the year. According to Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Diyarbakır deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), seven people, including two minors, died in incidents provoked by hate speech, five people died in custody, 19 died in prison, four died as a result of police or military gunfire or stepping on a mine and 10 died as a result of random gunfire. More.
Mother of 2 pushed back from Greece, arrested in Turkey
A woman who was pushed back to Turkey from Greece, where she fled with her husband,
daughter, and 18-month-old baby to escape imprisonment on trumped-up charges, has been arrested by Turkish authorities. More.
Activist starts serving prison sentence for showing solidarity with Kurdish daily
Well-known activist, writer, and journalist Celaletttin Can has been sent to prison to serve a 15-month sentence on conviction of disseminating terrorist propaganda for acting as the symbolic editor-in-chief of a now-closed Kurdish newspaper. More.
Man kills his second wife shortly after serving sentence for murdering first wife
A man in northwestern Turkey’s Karabük province who was convicted of killing his first wife allegedly killed his estranged second wife and mother-in-law on Monday evening. More.
Turkey suspends officials, guards over stabbing of political prisoners in eastern province
The Turkish Justice Ministry has suspended two deputy directors and four guards at an Elazığ prison where seven political prisoners were reportedly stabbed by other inmates, the Human Rights Association announced on Tuesday (İHD). More.
Former judge serving sentence on terrorism charges denied parole
Hüsamettin Uğur, a former member of Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals who is serving a prison sentence on conviction of “terrorist organization membership,” has been denied parole despite being eligible since May 2023 based on a bad conduct report. According to his daughter and lawyer Nalan Dilara Uğur, the report was issued completely arbitrarily by the prison board. More.
Kurdish farmer in southeast Turkey alleges mistreatment in detention
A Kurdish farmer in southeast Turkey’s Mus province on Monday was allegedly severely beaten by soldiers in a detention center. Images circulating on social media show his badly bruised body, and a video recording shows him barely able to walk. More.
Complaints of intolerable prison conditions surface from Edirne L-Type prison
Female inmates in Edirne L-Type prison have complained about unbearable prison conditions. They recently told their families that sewage water had overflowed into their cells, putting their health at risk and causing four children and two pregnant women to be transferred to other cells. More.
Academics face probe for protests against gov’t-appointed rectors
The rector of the İstanbul-based Boğaziçi University, who was appointed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has launched a disciplinary investigation into academics who participate in protests against presidentially appointed rectors at the school. More.
Saturday Mothers use QR codes to tell stories of enforced disappearance victims
The Saturday Mothers, a group of activists and relatives seeking to learn the fate of loved ones who disappeared while in police custody in Turkey in the 1990s, prepared a protest with QR codes to mark Aug. 30, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. More.