Five UN special rapporteurs have urged Turkey to stop using broad counterterrorism laws to prosecute human rights defenders and lawyers, warning that the legislation is being used to criminalize legitimate rights advocacy and restrict fundamental freedoms.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the rapporteurs said Turkish authorities were pursuing charges such as “financing terrorism” and “membership in a terrorist organization” against rights defenders and lawyers, with the Human Rights Association (İHD) identified as a particular target.
The experts said such legislation must not be used “to arbitrarily restrict the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, peaceful assembly, and association,” and called on Turkish authorities “to end the criminalization of human rights defenders.”
They raised concerns about several recent cases involving İHD members, including Hatice Onaran, who was convicted in 2024 for “violating the law on financing terrorism” after sending small amounts of money to poor and sick prisoners, while four other members — Osman Süzen, Suna Bilgin, Tuğba Kahraman and Mehmet Acettin — were charged with membership in a terrorist organization. Another İHD member, İsmail Boraz, was investigated for “participating in an unlawful assembly,” after taking part in a teachers union protest.
Citing the case of lawyer Sabri Güngen, who was assaulted by police while meeting with a client, the experts said ensuring the safety of lawyers is a state obligation.
The rapporteurs renewed their call for Turkey to revise its counterterrorism legislation and adopt a precise definition of terrorism in line with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination.
They added that misuse of counterterrorism laws was the subject of previous communications with Turkish authorities in 2020 and 2023.
The statement was signed by Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health Tlaleng Mofokeng and Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Gina Romero.
Founded in 1986, the Ankara-based İHD is one of Turkey’s oldest human rights organizations.
Turkey’s use of counterterrorism laws against human rights defenders, lawyers and opposition figures has attracted sustained criticism from international bodies including the United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe, which have urged Ankara to end violations of international human rights standards and restore key legal safeguards.
