1,415 Turkish rights activists subjected to various forms of harassment in four months: Report
Some 1,415 activists in Turkey have been subjected to at least one form of judicial harassment, administrative harassment, threat or intervention during the Jan. 1 – April 30, 2022 period, according to a report released by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV).
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The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) has released a report on various forms of harassment targeting human rights activists in the country in the the first four months of 2022.
During this period, 1,415 rights activists were subjected to at least one form of judicial harassment, administrative harassment, threat or intervention.
Some 23 activists among them have received jail terms in the total amount of one aggravated life sentence, 211 years, four years and 10 days. Some 82 other activists were acquitted in the lawsuits launched against them.
Some 305 people were detained due to their works on human rights issues and 16 were arrested.
The TİHV report noted that governor's offices around Turkey continued to ban peaceful protests, violating the Constitution. Accordingly, 74 of such demonstrations were prevented to take place, facing the intervention of police forces.
“All forms of oppression and preventions lead to the creation of an environment that feeds violence, hate, discrimination and animosity as well as to the weakening and criminalization of the legitimacy of human rights in the eyes of the public,” the TİHV report said, calling on the government to immediately end harassment against human rights activists.