27 Rights Organizations Call on Turkey to Release Jailed Journalists

* Photo: amnesty.org.tr

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

27 national and international civil society organizations, including the IPS Communication Foundation/bianet, have called on the authorities in Turkey to urgently release imprisoned journalists, human rights defenders and others, who are now also facing the risk of COVID-19 behind bars.

Sharing a joint statement for the press regarding the draft law that will reportedly release up to 100 thousand prisoners, the organizations have expressed their concerns that "journalists, human rights defenders, and others imprisoned for simply exercising their rights will remain behind bars."

"These people should not be detained at all, excluding them from release would only compound the serious violations they have already suffered", the organizations have emphasized.

'Release them immediately and unconditionally'

Urging the authorities to not exclude certain prisoners from release based on their political views, the organizations have briefly stated the following:

"Overcrowding and unsanitary facilities already pose a serious health threat to Turkey's prison population of nearly 300,000 prisoners and about tens of thousands of prison staff. That will only be exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

"However, we remain concerned that journalists, human rights defenders and others imprisoned for simply exercising their rights, and others who should be released, will remain behind bars in the package of measures as currently conceived by the government.

"The undersigned organisations call on the Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalists, human rights defenders and others who have been charged or convicted simply for exercising their rights.

"Additionally, we believe that the Turkish authorities should re-examine the cases of all prisoners in pre-trial detention with a view to releasing them.

'Pre-trial detention used punitively in Turkey'

"According to international human rights law and standards, there is a presumption of release pending trial, in accordance with the presumption of innocence and right to liberty.

"Pre-trial detention should only be used as an exceptional measure, yet it is applied routinely and punitively in Turkey.

"The government should also seriously consider releasing prisoners who are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, such as older prisoners and those with serious medical conditions.

'We invite the authorities to give urgent consideration'

"We, the undersigned, call on the government and Parliament to respect the principle of non-discrimination in the measures taken to lessen the grave health risk in prisons. The effect of the draft law is to exclude certain prisoners from release on the basis of their political views.

"Thousands of people are behind bars for simply exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Now they are also faced with an unprecedented risk to their health.

"According to its commitments under international human rights law, Turkey is under a clear obligation to take necessary measures to ensure the right to health of all prisoners without discrimination.

"We invite Turkish authorities to use this opportunity to immediately release unjustly imprisoned people, and give urgent consideration to the release of those who have not been convicted of any offence and those who are at particular risk in prison from a rapidly spreading disease in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions where their health cannot be guaranteed." (HA/SD)