Situation during the visit
A/HRC/33/51/Add.1
Measures taken/current situation
Level of implementation and
observations (to be completed by
the WGEID)
detainees. On 17 October 2019, article 234 of Criminal
Procedural Code was amended. According to the amendment,
travel and accommodation expenses of victims will be
reimbursed by the Ministry of Justice when cases are moved to
other venues. No measures have been taken for the relatives.
87. Take measures to tackle intimidation and
harassment of relatives, human rights
defenders and lawyers working on cases of
enforced
disappearance,
including
punishing those responsible for such acts, in
accordance with articles 13 (3) and (5) of the
Declaration.
Paragraphs 40, 41
Truth Justice Memory Center - the Human Rights Joint Platform
– Human Rights Watch
There has been no progress in this regard.
Human Rights Association
In 2009, former Vice Chairperson of the İHD and former
Chairperson of the İHD’s branch in Diyarbakır Muharrem Erbey
has been arrested by the Anti-Terror Unit of the Diyarbakır
Security Directorate as part of an operation launched
simultaneously in 11 provinces in Turkey. He has been actively
involved in investigation of disappearances and also extrajudicial killings.
His arrest was based on the alleged membership to the Kurdish
Communities Union (KCK), an organization said to be the “urban
branch” of the armed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Consequently, he was charged with “being a member of an illegal
organisation”, pursuant to Article 314 of the Turkish Criminal
Code. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment as well.
Former Diyarbakır Bar Association Chairperson and prominent
human rights defender Tahir Elçi was killed on 28 November
2015. To date, 3 police officers have testified as suspects in this
case.
JWF – IAHRA Geneva
One of the families in Turkey informed that the wife of the victim
of enforced disappearance was taken under custody for 3 days
and the authorities even launched an investigation against her.
During the 3 days of her absence, their 3 children were looked
after by other relatives. It was not immediately clear why her
detention was relevant to the case of the enforced disappearance,
but they suspect that her detention aimed at instilling fear to the
The Working Group recognizes that in
the absence of institutional support,
relatives of the disappeared have
spearheaded the search for their loved
ones and sought justice, at times in the
face of organized intimidation
campaigns reported to have been
orchestrated or supported by State
authorities. In this regard, the
Working Group highlights the
obligation of Turkey to protect
relatives of the disappeared from
intimidation and harassment, whether
online or offline.
A/HRC/45/13/Add.4
42
Recommendations
A/HRC/33/51/Add.1
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