Türkiye is a focal point of our attention due to the lack of respect for the independence of the judiciary by the authorities, both internally and externally. In Türkiye, thousands of judges have been dismissed and detained under the pretext of combating terrorism. Those in power have eradicated judicial independence and transformed the judiciary into a tool for silencing dissenting voices. Mass detentions of judges and prosecutors, along with allegations of torture and inhumane treatment, are alarmingly prevalent in the country. As associations committed to combating human rights violations against judges and prosecutors, we have decided to present our observations on the independence of the judiciary, the mass detention of judges and prosecutors, and cases of inhumane treatment and torture to the Committee. We sincerely request that the Committee take the findings of this report into consideration, include them in its concluding observations after posing relevant questions to the representatives of Türkiye during the hearing.
In this submission, we present numerous examples to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of torture and inhumane treatment across Türkiye. This report builds on several foundational documents: the State Report of Türkiye dated October 27, 2020, the List of Issues prior to the submission of the fifth periodic report adopted by the Committee on December 27, 2018, and the concluding observations of the fourth periodic review. Our findings aim to elucidate the issues presented in these documents and substantiate our claims that Türkiye continues to dishonour its obligations under the CAT.
The report is available on the United Nations website:
You can also read the report here