In recent years, Turkey has experienced a massive deterioration of its human rights record, judicial independence, and adherence to the rule of law. This decline began in December 2013, when two major corruption scandals surfaced, incriminating many in the inner circle of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
On 7 June, pursuant to the Article 20 of the UN Convention Against Torture, the associations of IAHRA_Geneva, JWF, AST, HRD and SCF has submitted a communication before the CAT in order to initiate an inquiry against Turkey.
Former NASA scientist Serkan Golge was suddenly released from prison in Turkey this week after spending nearly three years behind bars on terrorism charges — an arrest stemming in part from his possession of a single dollar bill.
The state of emergency introduced on 15 July 2016 in the aftermath of the attempted coup ended on 18 July 2018, when its last extension expired, but was immediately followed by the adoption by the Turkish parliament of a law that retained many elements of the emergency rule for further three years.
