Category Archives: Impunity

Amnesty calls for independent monitors as allegations of torture mount

Posted on July 24, 2016 by heissenstat

In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt, Amnesty has seen mounting evidence of human rights abuses, including a further clamp down on freedom of expression and mass arrests. The detention of human rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz and the raid … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Andrew Gardner, Due Process, Excessive Force, Impunity, Torture, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty calls for independent monitors as allegations of torture mount

Amnesty: Turkey’s escalating abuses risk return to dark days of 1990s

Posted on July 5, 2016 by heissenstat

The message of Amnesty’s latest statement on abuses in Turkey’s on-going operations in south eastern Turkey could hardly have been clearer.  Things are getting much, much worse, with  “growing evidence of severe human rights violations, including torture and impunity for human … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Anti-terrorism, Excessive Force, Freedom of Expression, Impunity, Kurds, Military, Minorities, Terrorism, Torture, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty: Turkey’s escalating abuses risk return to dark days of 1990s

Condolence Book for Tahir Elçi

Posted on April 13, 2016 by heissenstat

Human rights lawyer/defender Tahir Elçi was shot dead in Diyarbakir on 28 November 2015. You may recall that Amnesty International organised a public meeting to pay tribute to him in January, attended by his wife, Turkan  Elçi, and one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press, Impunity, Kurds, Minorities, Terrorism, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Condolence Book for Tahir Elçi

Amnesty calls on Turkey to End Abusive Operations

Posted on January 20, 2016 by heissenstat

In a briefing and press release today (January 21) , Amnesty International renewed its call to Turkish authorities to “end the indefinite curfews in Kurdish neighbourhoods across east and south-east Turkey.” For several months, Amnesty International has been urging the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Andrew Gardner, Anti-terrorism, Erdogan, Excessive Force, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press, Impunity, Kurds, PKK, Press Freedom, Terrorism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty calls on Turkey to End Abusive Operations

Guest Blog: Abdullah Comert’s Family Still Searches for Justice

Posted on October 18, 2015 by heissenstat

Imagine having lost your child. Every parent’s worst nightmare. Now imagine that you would have to travel every month or so to a courthouse far away from your hometown in the hope of finding justice for your child. This nightmare … Continue reading →

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Impunity and death in Turkey: Another young life cut short

Posted on April 10, 2015 by heissenstat

Serhat Savaş,17 dies 7 months after being hit by tear gas canister fired by police at Kobane protests, Istanbul 2014 https://t.co/LWwl1zRgEk — Andrew Gardner (@andrewegardner) April 10, 2015 A tragic turn in a tragic story today, as news sources reported … Continue reading →

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Guest Blog: Seeking Justice for Abdullah Cömert

Posted on April 9, 2015 by heissenstat

“You killed my son on purpose!” These are the words that Hatice Cömert cries out in the courtroom as she bursts into tears while watching the footage from the scene of the crime where her 22 year-old son, Abdullah Cömert, … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Excessive Force, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Expression, Gezi, Impunity, Turkey | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Guest Blog: Seeking Justice for Abdullah Cömert

Amnesty on Turkey’s Worsening Human Rights Record: 11 Key Issues

Posted on February 24, 2015 by heissenstat

At midnight tonight, Amnesty International issued its Annual Report, The State of the World’s Human Rights.  There is grim reading throughout.  This was a tough year for human rights worldwide. Below I’ll try to outline the main issues that Amnesty … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Excessive Force, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Expression, Gezi Park, Impunity, Internet Freedom, Press Freedom, Taksim, Teargas, Turkey, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty on Turkey’s Worsening Human Rights Record: 11 Key Issues

The Ali Ismail Korkmaz Trial

Posted on January 22, 2015 by heissenstat

Ali Ismail Korkmaz was among those killed by police violence during the Gezi protests in June, 2013. He was 19. Yesterday, there was a modicum of justice in the case when a Turkish court found six guilty in his death. … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Excessive Force, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Association, Freedom of Expression, Gezi Park, Impunity, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Ali Ismail Korkmaz Trial

Hrant Dink: Still mourned; still awaiting justice

Posted on January 19, 2015 by heissenstat

It has been eight years now since Hrant Dink was shot down on a cold Istanbul street. He is still mourned.  He still awaits justice. Dink, an ebullient public intellectual and journalist, was a key figure in Turkey’s dwindling Armenian … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Armenian, Excessive Force, Freedom of Expression, Hrant Dink, Impunity | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Hrant Dink: Still mourned; still awaiting justice