October 7, 1999
Contact Human Rights First Communications (212) 845 5245 media@humanrightsfirst.org
Human Rights First Calls on Turkish Government
to Seize Moment of Opportunity
New Report Documents Violations of International Standards, Makes Key Recommendations
Ankara, Turkey—Human Rights First called on the Turkish government today to seize this moment to push forward overdue human rights reforms.
"The need for reform is not something imposed on Turkey by its foreign critics, or a way of improving its relations with the European Union or the U.S.," said Neil Hicks, Senior Program Coordinator at Human Rights First. "Reform is a necessity for the well being of the people in Turkey."
In its new report, Obstacles to Reform, Human Rights First documents violations of international standards in three vital areas: 1) the right to a fair trial; 2) accountability of state officials, especially members of the security forces involved in torture or extra-judicial killing; and 3) free expression for human rights defenders and others. It commends the Turkish government for recent progress in these areas, but stresses that further progress is urgently needed.
An issue of particular concern to Human Rights First--an organization that seeks to protect lawyers worldwide who are persecuted for carrying out their professional duty to defend human rights and uphold the law--are cases of lawyers subject to prosecution for their representation of unpopular clients. "All such prosecutions should be brought to an end," said Hicks. "Those in progress, such as the case against 25 lawyers in Diyarbakir, should be dismissed."
This past week, a Human Rights First delegation of federal judges and senior lawyers from the U.S., with extensive experience in the field of criminal law, participated in a series of legal seminars with their Turkish counterparts in Instanbul, Adana, and Diyarbakir. In each city, the seminars were hosted by the local bar associations.
Jack Martin, Human Rights First International Rule of Law Council member and Ford Motor Company's former Vice President and General Counsel, who joined the delegation in Diyarbakir and then met with Turkish government officials in Ankara added, "We welcome the recent release of some of those imprisoned for the non-violent expression of their views, but the law should be amended to make such prosecutions impossible.
Obstacles to Reform finds the right to fair trial to be most severely curtailed in proceedings before State Security Courts (SSCs) and recommends its abolition. Failing that, Martin pointed out that judicial or prosecutorial oversight of the state security detainees in the pre-statement phase is an urgent priority, and that incommunicado detention should be strictly limited.
Click here for a full set of the report's recommendations.