Derechos Humanos y Defensa de la defensa | TURQUIA

Joint Letter to UN Special Mandate Holders - Case of Tahir Elçi

UIA-IROL, together with more than forty national, regional and international NGOs and lawyers' organisations, addressed a letter to special United Nations mandate holders to request their urgent action regarding the ongoing criminal proceedings related to the killing of human rights lawyer Tahir Elçi on November 28, 2015.

Among other requests, the organisations invited the UN Special Rapporteurs to call on the Turkish authorities to ensure:

  • The case is heard by an independent, impartial, and competent court that is capable of establishing the facts and truth around the killing of Mr. Elçi;
  • All future hearings comply with international standards regarding the right to a fair trial, in which the victims’ rights are also recognised;
  • The hostile attitude from the court towards the Elçi family and their lawyers and the court’s persistent refusal to follow the rules of procedure and principles of both domestic and international law are not repeated in future hearings;
  • The lawyers for the Elçi family are given reasonable opportunities to be heard and to make their applications in relation to the procedure and the evidence;
  • Following a fair judicial procedure, those who are responsible for Mr. Elçi’s killing are held accountable and serve sentences appropriate to the gravity of the crime committed; and
  • Mr. Elçi’s family is provided with appropriate redress for the violations they and their loved one have suffered in accordance with the international obligations of Turkey.