The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published today a memorandum on the human rights implications of the measures taken under the state of emergency by the Turkish authorities. This memorandum follows up on a visit to Ankara between 27 and 29 September 2016, during which the Commissioner reiterated his firmest condemnation of the coup attempt of 15 July, paid tribute to the 241 persons who lost their lives and the many more who were injured resisting the coup plotters and expressed his solidarity with the democratic forces in Turkey.
The Memorandum examines the criminal law aspects of emergency measures; administrative measures affecting public employees, civil society and the private sector, as well as family members of suspects; the question of legal remedies against these measures; and a number of other issues.
While acknowledging the need for decisive and rapid action to respond to the threat posed by the coup plotters, the Commissioner concludes by insisting on the urgency of reverting to ordinary procedures and safeguards, by ending the state of emergency as soon as possible. Until then, he calls on the authorities to start rolling back the deviations from such procedures and safeguards as quickly as possible, through a nuanced, sector-by-sector and case-by-case approach.