• International Observatory of Human Rights announced as media partner for the Turkey Tribunal.
• The Turkey Tribunal announces the launch of a series of reports on the state of Turkish human rights leading up to the Tribunal.
• The assembly of the Turkey Tribunal in Geneva will be rescheduled from 21-25th September until late autumn due to current coronavirus travel restrictions.

The situation of human rights in Turkey is not improving. It has been nine months since the Universal Peer Review of Turkey was held at the United Nations in Geneva in January 2020. Over 124 countries submitted recommendations which raised deep concerns over press freedom, state sponsored torture, violence against women, enforced disappearances, arrest of elected local officials and impunity for perpetrators; although there were many more issues raised.

The Turkey Tribunal has been developed to establish a framework to review the current situation and the promises made by the Turkish government to improve their dire human rights record. Although not a legally binding body, the calibre of judges, witnesses and experts will give the tribunal authority through transparency to raise awareness among the international community and establish the benchmark for change.

The International Observatory of Human Rights and the Turkey Tribunal have announced a partnership whereby both organisations will join forces to help raise awareness and enable robust dialogue in advance of the physical Turkey Tribunal meetings in Geneva.

The Turkey Tribunal will present six reports which will be brought before the physical tribunal when it convenes in late autumn. The reports will be issued each fortnight and will be supplemented by a series of webinars organised by the International Observatory of Human Rights.

Both organisations will work together to producing a series of exclusive interviews with key members of the tribunal, authors of the reports and victims to further highlight the key report findings and tribunal verdicts

Founder of the Turkey Tribunal, Johan Vande Lanotte announced,

“We are extremely happy to work together with IOHR to bring the issues to a wider audience though their production expertise and highly active platforms such as IOHR TV”

Valerie Peay, Director of IOHR said,

“Human rights provides the foundation of a balanced society. The foundations are rotting in Turkey and need to be exposed and made fit for purpose. For too long the Turkish government has promised to address the damage, but nothing has been done.”

On the partnership Peay said,

“IOHR is delighted to support the Turkey Tribunal as it offers the opportunity for experts in their field to assess the human rights violations and make considered recommendations to repair the foundations before the Turkish people suffer their human rights eroding completely”.

Earlier in January 2020, IOHR had partnered with The Press Emblem Campaign to host a discussion that coincided with the UN’s Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Turkey, a panel that included journalists, civil society, academic experts, NGOs and those with government experience where invited to the Palais des Nations to discuss the unprecedented threat to human rights in Turkey. Click here to review the highlights of this event.

For media enquiries please contact:
Ash Naji – [email protected]
Head of Communications, IOHR