Category: Fair Trial
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Lawyer Dilek Ekmekci is facing Judicial Repression in Türkiye
Update: Dilek Ekmekci’s hunger strike that began on the 18th November ended on the 28th December. Her next court hearing is on the 10th of January. Dilek Ekmekci, a Turkish criminal lawyer, has been arrested in Türkiye. Since 2020, she has been working on the sexual exploitation of children in state care. In the case…
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Review of Turkey’s Human Rights Record
Regarding the UN Human Rights Committee Review Session in Geneva, November 2024 The UN Human Rights Committee reviewed Turkey’s human rights record in Geneva in November 2024. Rights Defenders Initiative attended the session with a representative and had the privilege to give a speech to the Committee based on the report they prepared and submitted.…
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Natalya Filonova
Natalya Filonova is a 61-year-old pensioner and a dedicated veteran human rights activist and journalist who has been advocating for social justice since the 1990s. She initially worked as a correspondent for a regional newspaper and later launched her own publication, “Vsemu naperekor” (Despite everything), to voice her concerns. On September 26, 2022, Natalya was…
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Exile and Resistance: The Trial and Punishment of Sergei Lukashevsky
Sergei Lukashevsky, a prominent Russian human rights advocate and director of the Sakharov Center in Moscow, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison by a Russian court in November 2024. The charges stemmed from his outspoken criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including posts and broadcasts alleging misconduct by Russia’s armed forces. These…
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Democracy on Trial: The Harsh Sentences of Hong Kong’s 45 Advocates
In a landmark case under Hong Kong’s controversial National Security Law, 45 pro-democracy figures were convicted on November 19, 2024, for “conspiracy to commit subversion.” The charges stemmed from their involvement in an unofficial primary election in 2020 aimed at securing seats in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. This primary, deemed illegal under Beijing’s crackdown on…
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Lawyer Dilek Ekmekci is facing Judicial Repression in Türkiye
Dilek Ekmekci, a Turkish criminal lawyer, has been arrested in Türkiye. Since 2020, she has been working on the sexual exploitation of children in state care. In the case of assassination of Sinan Ates, former leader of the far-right party Grey Wolves (Turkish: Ulku Ocaklari), she has been investigating the involvement of the state members.…
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Trial of the Girls – Weaponising Terrorist-Defence Laws Against Children
On September the 23rd 2024, the highly controversial trial of 15 minors (aged 13-17) began in Turkiye. The charges, like many similar cases, are that of ‘terrorist actions’. These actions involve studying, organising educational programs, and supporting children affected by the government’s emergency decrees (KHK). The source of the controversy is that the actions are…
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Ikram Nurmehmet: The Resilient Voice of Uyghur Cinema
Ikram Nurmehmet, an Uyghur filmmaker, has become a symbol of the human rights violations faced by the Uyghur community in China. His works often depict the rich culture and struggles of the Uyghur people, drawing attention to their plight amid increasing repression. However, Nurmehmet’s advocacy has put him at significant risk, as he has been…
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Political Prisoner kept handcuffed during chemotherapy, after his release was ordered
Mustafa Aytac, 31, a mechanical engineer was imprisoned in 2022 due to his association with the Gulen Movement (GM). He was sentenced to over 7 years; because of helping those dismissed state employers by presidential decree (KHK) and organising or attending Gulen Movement’s religious gatherings. He is incarcerated in Afyonkarahisar Province Prison and was diagnosed…
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Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier is an Anishinaabe-Lakota Native American and a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which fights for the rights of Native Americans. On June 26, 1975, there was a violent clash on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, where two FBI agents, Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, were killed, along with…