A joint declaration, signed by eleven international legal and human rights organisations condemning the Turkish government for human rights violations against lawyers, judges, and prosecutors in the country, was signed in London and released on Thursday – the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government came under fire due to a crackdown on dissidents following the July 2016 coup attempt.
Tens of thousands of people, including many legal experts, have been detained, arrested and dismissed from their jobs since then, many of whom had no connection to the coup attempt, according to some national and international reports.
The eleven international associations, including the Geneva Bar Association, Human Rights Committee, European Bar Human Rights Institute, General Council of Spanish Law, International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger, and the Law Society of England and Wales, criticised Erdogan government because of the long persecution list.
“We express our alarm about the increasing attacks against members of the legal profession, the breakdown of the rule of law, and the human rights violations against lawyers, judges, and prosecutors in Turkey,” the declaration stated.
The organisations claimed that the legal profession in Turkey has been the target of systematic persecution and attacks prior to and after the failed coup.
They listed these ‘attacks’ as arbitrary arrests, detainment, interrogation, and prosecutions. According to the organisations, 594 lawyers have been arrested, 1,546 prosecuted and 216 convicted since 2016.
They argue that lawyers in the country are not able to work effectively, as many of them refrain from taking on cases due to political oppression and the danger of being persecuted themselves.
The international legal and human rights organisations, through the joint declaration, urged the Turkish government to guarantee the independence of the judiciary, and that all applications against dismissal decisions are considered in a fair and public hearing.
They requested that the Turkish government ensure that lawyers be allowed to perform their professional functions effectively. The organisations also urged the government to amend anti-terrorism legislation, which they claim currently restricts the independence of the legal profession.
“Immediately end the arbitrary and systematic arrest, prosecution and detention of lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and court officials, and drop the charges against those arbitrarily arrested and accused,” the declaration called to Erdogan leadership.
Turkey is placed at 101 out of 113 countries in the World Justice Project’s 2017-2018 Rule of Law Index. It is listed as 111 in the list of oppression of government powers.
The post Turkey urged to restore rule of law appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/01/28/turkey-urged-to-restore-rule-of-law/
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