Report on Human Rights of LGBTI+s: ‘2019 Saw an Increase in Torture, Maltreatment’

* Photo: Kaos GL / "Hand in hand to freedom"

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The Ankara-based Kaos GL LGBTI+ association has released its 2019 annual report on the human rights of the LGBTI+ community in Turkey.

Prepared by lawyer Yasemin Öz, the report gives detailed information about the violation of rights faced by LGBTI+s in Turkey in 2019 as well as the practices preventing them from accessing fundamental human rights.

The 90-page report was shared with the public in an online press statement yesterday (May 17) on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. 

According to the report, the distribution of cases and violations by categories of rights is as follows: "Five hate murders, 13 hate crimes, six hate speeches, two sexual assault cases, ten violations of prohibition of torture and maltreatment, 34 violations of personal liberty and security, two violations of privacy, 16 violations of freedom of expression.

"13 violations of the right to hold meetings and demonstrations, five cases of discrimination in work life and four cases of discrimination in education.

"13 violations of freedom of travel and housing and right of succession, three cases of discrimination in healthcare and four cases of discrimination in accessing products and services. Three rights violations pertaining to the LGBTI+s in prisons and one violation of rights targeting refugees."

'Positive developments were limited in 2019'

The report has made the following observations about 2019:

"While the violations of rights faced by LGBTI+s were discussed and there was an increase in the legal actions taken against these violations, positive developments were still limited in 2019 as well.

"While there was an increase in the number of violations directly committed by the authorities and legislation officers, there was still a high number of violations arising from the society.

"In any case, it is beyond dispute that noteworthy developments that would ensure the LGBTI+s' access to mechanisms of justice and compensation for the violations they faced were far from the necessary level.

"While Turkey's legal system has no legislation protecting LGBTI+s and no public policy has been developed, policy makers and implementers themselves can increasingly become the actors of rights violations and attitudes of the authorities producing hate speech can be reflected in public policies as an increase in discriminatory practices against LGBTI+s."

'Number of violations similar to 2018'

The report of the association also provides a comparative analysis with 2018 in terms of the number of rights violations. Accordingly;

"The numbers of rights violations were similar in following categories: Hate murders, hate crimes, hate speech, sexual assault offenses, violation of privacy, worklife, education, healthcare, access to goods and services, refugees and LGBTI+ prisoners.

"2019 saw an increase in the violations of following rights: Prohibition of torture and ill treatment, freedom of expression, right to hold meetings and demonstrations, the right of travel and housing and right of succession. There was a marked increase in violations of personal liberty and security."

'LGBTIs is a story of democracy and equality'

Concluding the report, Kaos GL has underlined that despite "the period of intense pressure and bans imposed by the public authorities, the LGBTI+s of Turkey have never abandoned their resistance so that they can develop the fields of their existence."

"The fact that they remain convinced that they can hold up and acquire their rights by developing creative solutions even in the harshest periods of oppression also gives us hope for a more democratic and egalitarian society where everyone will be liberated together with LGBTI+," the association indicated further and added the following:

"The LGBTI+s who have built today in a Turkey where LGBTI+ identities are not denied are also a story of democracy, equality and a road story for all discriminated groups in the country."

(RT/SD)