A/HRC/43/51/Add.3 579. El Relator Especial agradece la información incluida en la respuesta del 30 de abril de 2019 en particular sobre la resolución del Tribunal de Apelación de Tánger del 5 de marzo de 2019 archivando la causa penal contra la defensora de los derechos de los migrantes española, pero lamenta la falta de información sobre las alegaciones de desprestigio en contra de la organización Caminando Fronteras. El Relator Especial reitera su preocupación sobre las declaraciones de autoridades españolas, que parecerían contribuir a la criminalización y el descredito de la defensora y el Colectivo Caminando Fronteras, en particular en el contexto de una tendencia europea de campaña de desprestigio y procedimientos judiciales contra las personas defensoras de los derechos de los migrantes. Turkey 580. JAL 04/03/2019 Case no: TUR 3/2019 State reply: 14/05/2019 Allegations concerning the sentencing of 47 members of Academics for Peace between 11 December 2018 and 24 January 2019, including Ms. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and Mr. Gençay Gürsoy, as the result of their signing a peace petition. 581. JAL 16/05/2019 Case no: TUR 5/2019 State reply: 12/07/2019 Allegations concerning criminal charges against Ms. Gönül Öztürkoğlu, a human rights defender and president of the Malatya branch of Insan Haklari Dernegi (IHD – Human Rights Association). Ms Öztürkoğlu has been actively involved in defending the human rights of women and children, the rights of prisoners, in particular the sick and the elderly, and the rights of persons belonging to Yezidi communities. 582. JAL 09/07/2019 Case no: TUR 7/2019 State reply: 06/09/2019 Allegations concerning the sentencing of Ms. Eren Keskin, as well as the arrest and subsequent release of Ms. Nurcan Baysal. 583. JAL 23/07/2019 Case no: TUR 8/2019 State reply: 20/09/2019 Allegations concerning the sentencing of eleven council members of the Turkish Medical Association to prison on the charge of “provoking the public to hatred and enmity”, following statements on the effects of war and conflict on public health. 584. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Turkey for the letters received in response to all of his communications and for its continued engagement with the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. 585. The Special Rapporteur reiterates his concern at the deteriorating space for human rights defenders in Turkey and at the continued use of national security and counter-terrorism legislation and criminal defamation to criminalise the exercise of the right to freedom of expression in Turkey. In this context, the Special Rapporteur expresses his concern regarding the use of the Anti-Terrorism Law, in particular the charges of membership of a terrorist organisation and propagandising for a terrorist organisation, against human rights defenders exercising their right to freedom of expression by calling for peace and advocating for the rights of the Kurdish minority. He takes note of the amendment introduced to Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terrorism Law but remains concerned that said provision is not compatible with the permissible derogations to the right to freedom of expression under Article 19(3) of the ICCPR, given its overbroad and vague wording which permits wide-ranging powers to authorities to arrest and prosecute people for their public statements. 586. This worrying trend is reflected in the ongoing criminalisation of members of the Human Rights Association (IHD). The Special Rapporteur is concerned about the charges, the ongoing criminal proceeding, and the travel ban and weekly reporting to the police imposed on Ms. Öztürkoğlu for her work defending the rights of women, children, the elderly, prisoners and the disappeared. He is also seriously concerned about the latest conviction of IHD’s co-president Ms. Eren Keskin and the alleged arbitrary arrest of and charges against Nurcan Baysal. 80