Month: February 2025
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The Enforced Disappearance of Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi: A Call for Justice and Transparency
Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a 55-year-old Egyptian-Turkish poet and political activist, has been subjected to enforced disappearance since his extradition to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 8, 2025. Initially arrested by Lebanese security forces on December 28, 2024, at the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, his detention was reportedly based on a…
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Justice and Accountability After the 2023 Turkey Earthquake: Challenges and Unresolved Questions
The February 6, 2023, earthquakes in Turkey exposed widespread construction malpractices and regulatory failures, leading to thousands of deaths and massive destruction. Investigations revealed that many buildings collapsed due to the use of substandard materials and negligence in enforcing earthquake-resistant regulations. Corruption played a major role, as permits and inspections were often bypassed, allowing unsafe…
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The Case of Akin Öztürk: Violations of Human Rights and Arbitrary Detention
On 15 July 2016, during the events of the so-called coup attempt in Türkiye, Akin Öztürk, former Commander of the Turkish Air Force, returned to Ankara from his annual leave, which he had spent at a military summer facility in İzmir. His return was prompted by his wife’s health issues. That evening, he received a…
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Trump Administration Moves to Reject Transgender Identity
Within hours of reclaiming the presidency on Monday, United States President Donald Trump signed an extensive executive order that aims to dismantle essential protections for transgender individuals and explicitly denies the legitimacy of gender identity. This sweeping directive revokes multiple executive orders established by former President Joe Biden. Among these are policies that allowed transgender…
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Osman Kavala
Osman Kavala is a well-known philanthropist and rights advocate in Turkey. Yet, he has been behind bars for over 86 months (over 7 years), and his case has come to symbolize the decline of human rights and judicial independence in the country. Kavala’s imprisonment is not just an isolated case but a reflection of the…
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Saudi Arabia’s systemic abuse of migrant workers
Saudi Arabia’s demographics show that 42 percent of the population is made up of migrant workers, and yet the conditions and legislations to protect their rights and wellbeing are failing. The statistics indicate that 8 people a day die as a result of it that requires urgent attention. Individuals from Nepal, India and Bangladesh are…