Friday, May 9, 2025
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

UN sounds alarm over the lack of an independent judiciary in Turkey

October 22, 2024
A A
UN sounds alarm over the lack of an independent judiciary in Turkey

Margaret Lockwood Satterthwaite, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Nordic Monitor/Stockholm

The United Nations’ point person on judicial independence has warned Turkey of a troubling pattern of systemic government interference in the judiciary, which is eroding judicial autonomy and resulting in mass purges of judges and prosecutors as well as the persecution of legal professionals.

In a communication to the Turkish government, Margaret Lockwood Satterthwaite, the United Nations special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, expressed deep concern about reports on the current situation of judges, prosecutors and lawyers, all of whom are increasingly subject to government interference in Turkey.

Satterthwaite highlighted the arbitrary removal, suspension and imprisonment of thousands of judges and prosecutors by the Turkish government following a false flag coup attempt in July 2016, actions aimed at undermining the judiciary’s independent functioning.

She noted that the government appears to be abusing broad anti-terrorism powers to target legal professionals, violating the fundamental principle of judicial independence, which holds that judges should not face criminal or disciplinary action based on the content of their rulings.

In 2016 and 2017 the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed or arrested over 4,300 judges and prosecutors, accusing them of affiliation with the Gülen movement, a group critical of the government, without providing solid evidence of criminal activity.

The faith-based Gülen movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen, who passed away on Sunday, has primarily focused on interfaith dialogue, outreach activities and education. Since its inception in the 1960s, the movement has never been linked to violence but has been systematically targeted by radical Islamist groups, ultranationalists and far-right networks.

 

The text of the UN communication was sent to Turkey on June 21, 2024 by Margaret Lockwood Satterthwaite, the United Nations special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers:

UN_communique_on_Turkey_judiciary

 

Gülen’s strong criticism of the Erdogan government, particularly on issues of widespread corruption and Turkey’s support for armed Islamist groups in Syria, put the movement in the direct line of government repression. In 2014, following a major graft investigation in December 2013 that implicated Erdogan and his inner circle, the government launched false terrorism cases against the movement and its members.

Since then, over half a million people alleged to be affiliated with the Gülen movement have faced politically motivated legal actions, with many resulting in wrongful terrorism convictions and lengthy prison sentences.

Following the mass purges of thousands of judges and prosecutors through arbitrary and summary executive decisions, the Erdogan government hastily recruited nearly 10,000 individuals from the ranks of the ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), to fill the vacancies.

Consequently, courts and prosecutor’s offices became populated with personnel who are ideologically and politically aligned with the government, often acting without regard for the rule of law and due process when punishing those deemed critical of the administration.

Similarly, thousands of lawyers have been the subjects of criminal charges based on fabricated evidence, resulting in mass arrests that have created a chilling effect among legal professionals. These actions were designed to reinforce the Erdogan government’s dominance over the judiciary, further undermining judicial independence.

The UN communication also highlighted the use of the ByLock messaging app as evidence in terrorism cases, despite the absence of any content indicating actual criminal activity. ByLock was available for download on both the Android and the iOS platforms and had been installed on hundreds of thousands of mobile devices worldwide before it was shut down in early 2016.

On September 26, 2023 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued a landmark decision ruling that the conviction of Yüksel Yalçınkaya, a teacher in Turkey, on terrorism charges — specifically for using the ByLock app — was unjust. Despite the Turkish Constitution mandating compliance with ECtHR rulings, Turkey has refused to abide by this decision.

 

Margaret Lockwood Satterthwaite

“Taking into consideration the widespread use of messaging apps in the world, as well as the right of individuals to freedom of opinion and expression, I am concerned at allegations that simply downloading one of these applications (ByLock) has been used systematically by the Turkish judiciary as evidence to support an accusation of terrorism,” Satterthwaite said.

“Considering the alleged number of cases that have used this data as evidence for conviction, I join others in expressing concerns over the process of acquisition and analysis of the ByLock data under the law governing data retention; the evidentiary value of the ByLock evidence; and the reliability, accuracy, authenticity and integrity of the ByLock data on which the allegations of ByLock use are predicated.”

She called on Turkish authorities to retry cases that relied on the use of ByLock.

According to the communication, the persecution of lawyers in Turkey has profound implications for the rule of law and human rights. The UN rapporteur emphasized that the ability of lawyers to defend their clients without fear of reprisal is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy. However, she warned that the current climate of fear and intimidation within Turkey’s legal system threatens this foundational principle.

The communication exposes the dismal state of affairs in Turkey’s judiciary, which is facing a profound crisis. The mass dismissal of judges, the persecution of lawyers and the reliance on highly questionable digital evidence such as ByLock are eroding judicial independence and undermining the right to a fair trial.

International human rights bodies have repeatedly urged Turkey to address these issues; however, meaningful reform has yet to materialize.

The Erdogan government has not responded to the concerns expressed in the UN communiqué, which was issued as part of Turkey’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights), both of which Turkey has ratified.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Turkey’s main opposition CHP is in cahoots with President Erdogan and his allies

Next Post

Document shows Turkish diplomats spied on an Erdogan critic who was kidnapped in Kenya

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor

[email protected]

Next Post
Document shows Turkish diplomats spied on an Erdogan critic who was kidnapped in Kenya

Document shows Turkish diplomats spied on an Erdogan critic who was kidnapped in Kenya

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

May 9, 2025
US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

May 8, 2025
EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

May 7, 2025
Turkey struggles to counter EU-Cyprus gains among ‘brother states’

Turkey struggles to counter EU-Cyprus gains among ‘brother states’

May 6, 2025
Turkey accused of financing Hezbollah’s resurgence in Lebanon, sending planes loaded with cash

Turkey accused of financing Hezbollah’s resurgence in Lebanon, sending planes loaded with cash

May 5, 2025
Erdoğan’s propaganda office claims he is Turkey’s greatest, most powerful brand

Leaked memo reveals Erdogan gov’t ordered psychological operations to deflect scandal, frame opposition

May 2, 2025
Turkey thwarts board election at Greek minority foundation despite court ruling

Turkey thwarts board election at Greek minority foundation despite court ruling

May 1, 2025
Turkey hosts Hamas official calling for Israel’s destruction, arming of Qassam Brigades

Turkey hosts Hamas official calling for Israel’s destruction, arming of Qassam Brigades

April 30, 2025
Erdogan ally admits indigenous tank production delayed by lack of engine, unsuitable production location

Erdogan ally admits indigenous tank production delayed by lack of engine, unsuitable production location

April 29, 2025
Turkey’s invasion plans for Greece thwarted by US, France, provoking angry outbursts from Erdogan

Turkey’s invasion plans for Greece thwarted by US, France, provoking angry outbursts from Erdogan

April 28, 2025

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor is a news web site and tracking site that is run by the Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network. It covers religious, ideological and ethnic extremist movements and radical groups, with a special focus on Turkey.

Tags

al-Qaeda Andrei Karlov China coup Cyprus Diyanet Egypt espionage Germany Greece Gülen Movement Hakan Fidan Hamas Hulusi Akar Ibrahim Kalın IHH Iran IRGC Quds Force ISIL ISIS Isis al-qaida Israel Libya Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı MIT Muslim Brotherhood NATO President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Profiling Qatar Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Russia SADAT spying Spying Activities Suleyman Soylu Sweden Syria Torture Turkey Turkish Intelligence Agency Turkish intelligence agency MIT Ukraine United States

Recent News

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

May 9, 2025
US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

May 8, 2025
EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

May 7, 2025

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.