Our podcasts, where we will announce human rights violations and developments in the world and publish important interviews, have started. Human Rights Solidarity (HRS), global human rights bulletins deliver concise and informative updates on human rights issues from around the world.

In each episode, we shed light on the violations of human rights and freedoms throughout the world, and we endeavour to convey the most up-to-date developments. We also plan to make interviews with experts, activists, and individuals at the forefront of human rights advocacy.

Our aim is to raise awareness, inspire action, and empower listeners to make a positive impact in the field of human rights.

Tune in to stay informed and engaged with the ongoing fight for human rights.

We are delightful to share our amendment proposals to European Parliament draft report on the 2022 Commission Report on Turkiye. We would like to share our amendment proposals to your comprehensive and well-designed draft report on the 2022 Commission Report on Turkiye {2022/2205(INI)}. We hope to make contribution to the work of the European Parliament which makes invaluable contributions to the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Human Rights Solidariy’s (HRS) accreditation application to the European Parliament (EP) was accepted after an assessment by the organisation’s units. One of the good news this month came from the European Parliament (EP). The accreditation request made by HRS in May was granted by the EP authorities. HRS management appointed Burak Keskin, a young lawyer from Belgium, as its representative to the EP.

With this appointment, we aim to make valuable contributions to the European legislative power on human rights issues. Mr Keskin will both follow the developments in the EP and work on HRS’s demands and reports.

If you have a project or issue that you would like to be raised at the EP, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We invite you to the human rights training seminar on 27-28 May, where experts in their fields will make presentations.

Dear HRS volunteers,
We are excited to announce that we have arranged a human rights training program for May 27th and 28th. The program will be conducted in English and will be held face-to-face from 9:30am to 5:00pm on Saturday, and via Zoom from 10:00am to 12:00am on Sunday in Turkish.

During the seminar, experts in their fields, such as jurists, artists, journalists, and activists, will give presentations. Please note that the program has limited spots, so you must register to participate.

Click here to register for the programme.

Click here for Sunday’s Zoom broadcast.

You can find the programme details in the file below.

Many people have been wrongfully accused, imprisoned, or oppressed in many parts of the world. Let’s say hi to them.

Dear human rights volunteer,

As you know, there are people in many countries who are persecuted and whose rights have been violated. Many of them live in prison or are subjected to isolation. Some of these people are Muslims. We want to show them that they are not forgotten and make them feel that they are not alone during the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid that will be celebrated at the end. We also want to thank the Muslim rights defenders who see the violations of rights in various parts of the world, who do not want to remain silent about these violations, who stand up against these injustices with all their might, and we want to support them with our messages so that they can continue and know that we value their work.

We believe that it will be more meaningful and valuable to do this with the contributions of valuable people like you who are devoted to human rights. We ask you to shoot a short video message for one of the victims we have listed and send it to us.

We will share your messages on our charity website and social media accounts and deliver them to the victims and their relatives. Feeling that they are right and knowing that there is someone in some corner of the world who cares about them will be the best ‘Eid gift’ for them.

Thank you very much in advance for your support and contribution.

Points to be considered when shooting:

•  Shooting vertically. It is important to shoot with the phone or recorder vertically.
• If possible, place the phone or recorder in a fixed place.
• Adjusting the frame to take the shot from the waist up.
• The light should be in the front rather than the back, i.e. there should be no glass or windows in the back.
• It is better to shoot in a quiet environment, and it is better to speak a little loudly.
• The length of the video you will shoot can be between 20 seconds and 1 minute. 

***

PEOPLE TO WHOM YOU CAN VIDEO MESSAGE

1. Hawagul Tewekkul: Uyghur. 50 years old, imprisoned at internment camps, reason not known.
2. Tajigul Tahir: Uyghur. 60 years old, imprisoned at internment camps, sent to the camp because her son was suspected of having ‘strong religious leanings’ because he declined to drink or smoke.
3. Rahile Omer: Uyghur. 15 years old girl, the youngest person detained – she was 15 at the time, imprisoned at internment camps, reason not known.
4. Anihan Hamit: Uyghur. 73 years old, imprisoned at internment camps, reason not known.
5. Tursun Kadir: Uyghur. 58 years old, imprisoned at internment camps, was jailed for 16 years and 11 months for ‘growing a beard under the influence of religious extremism’.
6. Tursun Memetimin and Ashigul Tutghun: Uygur. Imprisoned at internment camps, reason: having listened to a banned lecture on someone else’s mobile phone six years earlier.
7. Ahmadreza Djalali: An Iranian-Swedish researcher and lecturer who was arrested in Iran in 2016 and sentenced to death on charges of espionage.
8. Narges Mohammadi: An Iranian human rights activist and journalist who was arrested in 2015 and sentenced to 16 years in prison for her work with the Centre for Human Rights Defenders.
9. Raif Badawi: A jailed Saudi Arabian blogger and Ensaf Haidar who has been campaigning for her husband’s release and advocating for human rights in Saudi Arabia.
10. Waleed Abu al-Khair: A Saudi Arabian human rights lawyer who was arrested in 2014 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his work on human rights issues in Saudi Arabia.
11. Amal Fathy: An Egyptian human rights defender and feminist who was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to two years in prison on charges of spreading false news and insulting the state.
12. Nuriye Gülmen: A Turkish teacher and human rights defender who was arrested in 2017 and charged with membership in a terrorist organization.
13. Semih Özakça: A Turkish teacher and human rights defender who was arrested in 2017 and charged with membership in a terrorist organization.
14. Veli Acu: A Turkish human rights defender who was arrested in 2016 and charged with membership in a terrorist organization
15. Hidayet Karaca: A Turkish media executive and businessman who was arrested in 2014 and charged with being a member of the Gülen movement.
16. Ali Ünal: Turkey. Zaman news columnist.
17. Ali Ahmet Böken: Turkey. Former TRT News Coordinator
18. Mehmet Baransu: Kurdish journalist and author from
19. Nellab Hotaki Talash: Female Judge fled Afghanistan.
20. Sharjeel Imam: Indian activist languishes in jail for a speech.
21. Umar Khalid: An Indian activist, arrested for exercising his right to free speech.
22. Humaira Yusuf: Afghan human rights defender, arrested in Afghanistan.
23. Khurram Parvez: Kashmiri rights activist, jailed by India.
24. Haleema Saroor: For thirteen years I worked on various projects aimed at uplifting the situation of women in Helmand, Afghanistan.
25. Sara Seerat: Afghan, lives in the UK. I am in charge of the Social and Cultural Institute of Women with a Mission, head the Association of Women Journalists, a Member of the Youth Parliament, and an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Al-Biruni.
26. Marzia Rustami: As the Manager of the Afghan Women’s Network in Kunduz, my work on women’s rights is multi-faceted but I focus a lot on the capacity building projects I conduct to empower women. Along with other human rights defenders in the area, I promote women’s rights and social justice, encourage women on political participation and engage in local government, and to work on key, decision making positions in the government and private organisations.
27. Aqila Nawrozi: As a human rights defender, I have worked in various roles to support women in Daikundi. As a focal point of Afghan Women Network, I tried to lobby for improving the status of women in Daikundi coordinating with governmental and non-governmental organizations. I also worked as a deputy of Social Council, deputy of the Development Council Secretary of the Advisory Board of Neli, an Organisation that works with the Municipality.
28. Zarqa Yaftali: Afghan, lives in the UK. I’m the Director of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation. I have more than 12 years of experience working as a Women and Children’s Rights Defender and am also a member of various national civil society organisations and advocacy committees, including the Board of Women Defenders Regional Network, and Secretariat of the Civil Society Joint Task Force.
29. Gul Makai Sultanzada: As a lawyer by profession, I have faced many challenges, including receiving written warnings from the Taliban and senior government officials because of my work on human rights. I fight battles with the Taliban almost every day and am known for resolving issues with them. I believe that 40% of human rights violations occur in Kandahar due to illiteracy and patriarchy.
30. Zahra Karamat: I am one of the few activists in Herat who has travelled to the farthest corners of the province, trying to engage with women and men who are not enjoying even their basic human rights. It’s a struggle to fight injustices and discrimination, but do I hope that we do not encounter challenges significant enough to push us back, and to continue with the work, to uplift the situation of women in Afghanistan.
31. Arzoo Nizam: I myself was a victim of several restrictions women in Afghanistan face when my family didn’t allow me to get a job. But today, in addition to being the Deputy Director of the Organization of Afghan Women Capacity and Knowledge, which works on women’s capacity building and elimination of violence against women, I’m also working as a defense attorney for the last ten years. I take special interest in individual cases, visit homes of women who are victims, speak to the men in their families and, at times with the help of the Directorate of Women’s Affairs, try to raise awareness on women’s rights and resolve disputes.
32. Maria Raheen: Afghan. I am the director of the Journalism and Mass Communication Unit at Balkh University. I also head a non-governmental organization that works on human rights. For 20 years, as a women’s rights activist, I have pushed to address issues that prevent women from accessing their rights, not only in Balkh but also in other neighbouring provinces such as Samangan, Jowzjan and Faryab.
33. Khawar Amiri: I am the Head of the Literacy Department of the Directorate of Education in Khost Province and have worked for many years as a mediator for women’s issues. As most women of Khost Province are illiterate, and some districts are yet to establish schools for girls, through the Literacy Department, I have conducted courses for women and girls above the age of 14 to enable their basic reading and writing skills. As a well-known human rights defender, I have worked in solving many of women’s issues through the Committee on Elimination of Violence against Women and tribal Jirgas (councils), with help of the police.
34. Kainat Ahmad: Afghan, lives in the UK. On the day Malala was shot by the Taliban in 2012, Kainat was sitting next to her on the bus and was also wounded by the blow. The two are still good friends to this day after surviving the attack. Refusing to let fear stop her, Kainat now studies in the UK and hopes to become a doctor. She is a firm believer in the power of education and urges young girls to continue their mission to get one.
35. Malala: Afghan, lives in the UK. She is currently one of the most powerful advocates for education in the world and has become the voice of the more than 60 million girls deprived of education worldwide.
36. Manal al-Sharif: Saudi Arabia. She has campaigned for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia for many years. In opposition to the country’s restrictions on women drivers, she filmed herself driving a car and uploaded it to YouTube and Facebook. The video marked the beginning of what is now known as the “Women2Drive” campaign.
37. Gulfisha Fatima: In prison, India. She is a student woman human rights Defender in India. She was actively involved in the women-led protest in Seelampur in North East Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She works to raise awareness among local women about the CAA and is a strong voice for secular constitutional principles.
38. Sharjeel Imam: In prison, India. He is a human rights defender and student at the Jawarhalal Nehru University in India. The defender has been a vocal critic of the Citizenship Amendment Act and has been in the forefront of the protests against the sectarian and divisive Act.
39. Meeran Haider: He is a human rights defender and student at the Jamia Millia Islamia University. He is a a member of the Jamia Coordination Committee, which organized anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in Delhi in December 2019. On June 26, 2020, several UN experts called for the release of ur-Rehman and other protestors, saying that their arrests seem “clearly designed to send a chilling message…that criticism of government policies will not be tolerated.”
40. Shifa ur Rehman: He is a human rights defender and the President of the alumni association of Jamia Milia Islamia University. The defender has been a vocal critic of the Citizenship Amendment Act and has been in the forefront of the protests against the sectarian and divisive Act. On June 26, 2020, several UN experts called for the release of ur-Rehman and other protestors, saying that their arrests seem “clearly designed to send a chilling message… that criticism of government policies will not be tolerated.”
41. Ghassan Halaika: He is a Palestinian field researcher and human rights defender. His phone was hacked with NSO group’s Pegasus software and later he was arrested by the occupation forces, declared a terrorist for defending the rights of Palestinian children.
42. Ubai Al-Aboudi: Executive Director of Bisan Center for Research and Development and is a researcher in the field of socio-economic rights. He is also the editor-in-chief of Al-Taqadomi (the progressive) a pier reviewed journal on development in Arabic. Ubai has been arrested by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority on fabricated charges. He was subject to Pegasus spyware.
43. Tawakkol Karman: A Yemeni journalist, was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize from the Arab world. Tawakkol is another amazing young woman who has persevered in the face of violence. She is known for her nonviolent work to secure the safety of women and her struggle for women’s rights in Yemen. During the beginnings of the Arab Spring, Tawakkol’s voice became a common sound over the loudspeaker in Yemen’s Change Square, where she urged Yemeni youth to stand up against human rights abuses. To many she is known as the “Mother of the Revolution.”
44. Shirin Ebadi: Iran. She was one of the first female judges in Iran and is known for her efforts to promote the rights of women, children, and political prisoners in the country. Although she was dismissed from her Chief Justice status during the Islamic Revolution, she clawed her way back to a position that could defend the rights of others. She became a lawyer, opened her own private practice, and established a campaign demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iranian LAW.
45. Hawa Abdi: This remarkable woman is known for running a hospital and refugee camp throughout Somalia’s long civil war, sheltering hundreds of thousands and saving many lives. When Islamic militants kidnapped her and ransacked her hospital, she managed to convince them to let her go and issue a written apology.
46. Safia El-Aaddam: She has campaigned against institutional racism and has written a novel.
47. Ayisha Siddhiqa: She is a Pakistani human rights and environmental advocate. She is the co-creator of the Fossil Free University and Polluters Out, which aims to educate climate acti̇vi̇sts.
48. Hajer Sharief: She is a peace and human rights activist from Libya. She has promoted the participation of women and youth in peacebuilding efforts in her country.
49. Chaimaa Boukharsa: She is a decolonial and feminist activist, with studies in Arabic and Islamic philology and cultural diversity. Boukharsa is also coordinator of the Afrocolectiva media outlet. It organizes various debates, podcasts, workshops and training on racism, migration, discrimination and feminist.
50. Masih Alinejad: She is an Iranian activist and journalist. Currently, she lives in exile in the United
51. Fatima Aatar: Morocco, lives in the USA. She is a Muslim feminist, political activist and anthropologist, the daughter of Moroccan

On December 11th, in conjunction with International Human Rights Day, we organized a promotion and donation program with some of our solution partners. During the live broadcast on our YouTube channel, we introduced Human Rights Solidarity’s (HRS) 2-year activities and projects for 2023.

During the program, a donation campaign was organized for the use of next year’s projects. The total amount of donations made by human rights volunteers through various channels reached 9,500 pounds. You can access the donation channels that will remain open throughout the year through the links we will add below this text.

The program, hosted by Barış Cem Kaya, featured guest appearances and support from notable figures such as academic-activist Hafsa Girdap, lawyer Ömer Turanlı, and NBA star-activist Enes Kanter, either live or via video message.

At the beginning of the broadcast, Co-chair of HRS, Merve Aslangören, spoke about what they have accomplished in the past 2 years and their future projects, and particularly invited young people to work together. Aslangören emphasized that they are sensitive to human rights violations occurring everywhere in the world and said “If you only care about your own problems, no one else will care about your problems. That’s why we try to be the voice of all victims.”

The founding Secretary General of HRS, Tuğba Timur, delivered a video message explaining what it means to be a manager in a human rights association and addressed the importance of activist actions for those who have suffered human rights violations anywhere in the world. 

Erhan Karatürk, who sought refuge in the UK 3 years ago, shared his difficulties during the process and how he overcame them. Karatürk said he came to the UK by boat and was unexpectedly arrested later, stating “I was detained for 5.5 months. If I had relied on the defence of the lawyer appointed to me, I could have been sentenced to 14 years. But HRS helped me find a new lawyer through a donation campaign and I was saved from being sentenced.”

One of the live broadcast guests, lawyer Ömer Turanlı, discussed how to carry out legal battles on international platforms. He highlighted that it is a long-term process that requires patience and said “Especially in countries where the law does not work, human rights fights cannot be left only to court decisions. They should be carried out socially with individual efforts and support from volunteer groups.”

Academic and activist Hafsa Girdap provided examples from her human rights fights in the United States. Girdap said that through her work, she understood certain problems that she had not realized while living in Turkey. She said “Here, I became more familiar with the lives of blacks and Latin American immigrants. This allowed me to look at the issues of Kurds and Alevis again, even made me understand them deeply.”

During the broadcast, promotional videos of HRS and some committees were shown, volunteers’ messages were shared, and projects implemented in collaboration with solution partners were introduced. Also, it was reported what activities will be held in the next year with the collected donations.

To support the HRS projects, you can make donations through the following channels:

1. PayPal: paypal.me/hrsolidarity
2. GoFundMe: gofund.me/412cd877
3. Human Rights Solidarity: hrsolidarity.org (Donate Now)
4. Patreon: patreon.com/londonadvocacy

By Asiye Betul

This August, me and my activist friends found each other in a state of despair and overwhelmed by the events happening throughout the year. It wasn’t only a disgraceful year for our government, which would send asylum seekers to Rwanda if they had not been stopped by activists, lawyers and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). But also for British law and human rights. Also, as immigrants who have faced injustices by the state and knew what it was like to be alienated and discriminated between our communities, we knew we could never stay silent to another person facing the same thing. And we decided it was time to take action.

 We stood in Trafalgar square with our “Justice Wall”, a 1.8-meter tall wall made out of fabric, where we promote free speech and demand all human rights. This time our Justice Wall was themed after asylum seekers and refugees still facing discrimination by our Home Office and Government. We aimed not only to demand their justice but also to deliver messages of support and solidarity to them. Central London, especially Trafalgar square, which is located near Soho and Westminster, was the perfect location.

 We had children coming up to our wall and leaving welcoming messages for asylum seekers, toddlers drawing hearts and people hand to hand (which was my absolute favourite part of this project), tourists leaving messages of solidarity in their own languages, and many supportive messages such as “Do not dare give up” and “You are loved, and welcomed”.

 This project might not sound like a very big deal at first, but for me, it was London and the people of London showing their true faces. It was London telling us that, despite its government, we are welcome, and If there we were in a place of danger and discrimination, the people of London would not stay silent and stand up for us. An act of solidarity on its own.

Injustices may rise, but we will not prevail. The names of those who do injustice will be forgotten, but our strength and solidarity will always be remembered. So will we 🙂

The Yemen crisis remains one of the largest and worst crises in the World. The eight-year-old conflict between external powers makes it a totally unsafe country to inhabit.

The civil war has displaced more than one million people and currently affects around 23.7 million people, including almost 13 million children. The conflict has given rise to cholera outbreaks, medicine shortages, and famine, making it a living hell for its residents.

This devastating humanitarian crisis was caused by several factors such as fuel price hikes, military division, and Saudi intervention. With around three-quarters of its population living in poverty, Yemen has long been the Arab world’s poorest country and its humanitarian crisis has only gotten worse after the break-out of COVID-19. Yemen’s already severe famine problem, meanwhile, is dangerously close to total disaster.

Around 17.4 million individuals require food assistance, and an increasing percentage of people are dealing with emergency levels of hunger. Three out of four Yemenis require humanitarian aid and protection, and four million are internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.

Human rights violations in Turkey, which have reached unbearable levels, are not only Turkey’s problem but also Europe’s and even the world’s.

You can see the details of this study, which is like a report, prepared in partnership with Advocates For Dignity and Human Rights Solidarity in the appendix.

Turkey is a key player in the global arena.

With its geostrategic importance increasing due to the influx of immigrants into Europe, radical Jihadist ideologies into the West and Russian and Chinese influence into the Middle East and Africa, Turkey has become a crucial ally of the Transatlantic Alliance.

Furthermore, though still in abeyance of becoming a full member of the European Union, Turkey is indispensable for Europe’s territorial and financial security, and already holds power within European politics due to the ever-growing Turkish-speaking communities of Europe.

With its growing influence, Turkey once stood as a role model for newly democratising countries of Central Asia and the MENA region, as an icon of healthy synthesis of democratic norms and Islamic values.

Therefore, as a country with so much influence and potential, Turkey’s drift into becoming the world’s largest jailer of journalists and academics should be a world-wide concern.

Turkey Matters is a collection of infographics depicting the deterioration of the human rights situation in Turkey’s last decade.

It is a call for critical engagement, not for isolation or a boycott.

READ MORE FROM TURKEY MATTERS PAGE