Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Brought to Court, November 2003
The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) appeared in court on November 12th 2003 in an action which could result in the suspension from duty and expulsion of its board members. Both the organisation and the nine individual members of its board are being charged with offences under the Law of Foundations, particularly attempts to collect donations on the internet and the dissemination of reports about the human rights situation in Turkey to officials from international organisations. This is part of a widespread pattern of harassment of Human Rights Defenders by the Turkish authorities.
The HRFT was founded in 1990 in accordance with the Turkish Civil Code. Since its inception it has been subject to a number of prosecutions aimed at penalising the Foundation for its work. However this is the first time that the prosecution has aimed to depose all nine members of its executive board upon the formal request of the General Directorate of Foundations.
The current charges are, specifically: • That HRFT attempted to collect contributions via the internet; • That HRFT translated it report “The Special Report on the Prison Problem in Turkey” in to English and disseminated it internationally; • That HRFT met with Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions and provided her with special files on missing cases and extra judicial killings; • That HRFT met with Johannes Swobada, Rapporteu;r for Turkey of the European Parliament and provided him with files on the F-Type prisons and the prison operations; • That HRFT met with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and provided him with information on the 9 months evaluation of the Human Rights situation in Turkey with notes on enforced displacement.
Front line believes such charges are an unjustifiable breach of the right to freedom of expression. Furthermore this prosecution is greatly at odds with the Turkish authorities stated aim of bringing its human rights record into line with international standards.
Front Line is greatly concerned about this attempt to gag a group of Human Rights Defenders. It is in clear violation of international standards in particular the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Article 10 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which Turkey ratified on 18/05/1954