June 14th marks International Fair Trial Day. Focus country for this inaugural edition is Turkey. In a joint statement, Judges for Judges and 92 other legal organisations call on the Turkish authorities to implement ten steps and on the international community to increase its efforts.
Continue reading International Fair Trial Day: call on Turkey
Vandaag is de eerste nieuwsbrief van het nieuwe jaar verschenen. Daarin staan verhalen van diverse rechters uit Polen en Turkije, plus een interview voor een project van ‘The Arrested Lawyers Initiative‘.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe has recently published two reports on Turkey. The Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey believes these observations support its repeated warnings against the ill-treatment of imprisoned Turkish judges and prosecutors. It therefore appeals to the Turkish authorities, the European Commission and the Council of Europe with reconfirmed determination in this official statement.
Four years ago, on July 15th 2016, a failed coup d’état in Turkey set in motion an unprecedented and orchestrated campaign to destroy the Rule of Law and the independence of the Judiciary. Today, Platform for the independence of the judiciary in Turkey reaffirms its solidarity and support to all those judges, prosecutors and lawyers in Turkey that are truly independent and are engaged in the struggle for a free judiciary and the return of the rule of law in Turkey.
Continue reading Turkey – four years of dismantlement of the rule of law
The Turkish authorities have drafted an ‘early parole law’ in response to the corona virus crisis. The Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey urges those responsible to consider judges and prosecutors on the same grounds as other prisoners – without bias or predefined restriction. Continue reading Letter to Turkish authorities on ‘crisis parole’
The European Commission has sent a letter to the Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey, regarding the conviction of judge Murat Arslan and the general situation in Turkey. Judges for Judges cites and posts this response on its website.
Continue reading European Commission on Murat Arslan and Turkey
The Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey, representing the major associations of European judges, expresses grave concerns after the conviction of judge Murat Arslan was upheld in appeal. The official protest note is published online and was sent to numerous international institutions.
Continue reading Protest note on Murat Arslan’s conviction in appeal
Judges for Judges and three other European Associations of Judges together form the Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey. This partnership has published a letter with an appeal to the respect of basic human rights of detained judges and prosecutors. It gives special attention to the dramatic case of judge Sultani Temel, who has been imprisoned with her five-year-old daughter for years now.
Continue reading Call to respect human rights of detained judges and prosecutors in Turkey
On 5 and 6 December the conference Judicial independence under threat? – organized by the Council of Europe and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – took place in Strasbourg. Both Diego García-Sayán, the UN Special rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and our board member Ybo Buruma were present at this conference. The question regarding when and under what conditions the European Court of Human Rights will provide an effective remedy for dismissed and detained Turkish judges inspired them both to write a column.
Continue reading Turkish judges in Strasbourg: an effective remedy?
The mere number of imprisoned Turkish judges is so intimidating, that a very special gesture is necessary if judicial independence in Turkey is to be protected. Would it not be preferable to deal with the cases in Strasbourg even before all the domestic remedies have been exhausted? Judges for Judges board member Ybo Buruma has the impression that the European Court of Human Rights does not wish to follow this line of reasoning.
Continue reading Imprisoned judges and judicial independence