The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published a memorandum on the human rights implications of the measures taken under the state of emergency, on 7 October 2016. This memorandum follows up on a visit of the Commissioner for Human Rights to Ankara between 27 and 29 September 2016.

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. The Commissioner also urges the Turkish authorities to make the widest use possible of the experience and guidance of Council of Europe bodies in this process.

Read the memorandum CommDH(2016)35 of the Commissioner.

Read the Turkish translation of the memorandum CommDH(2016)35 of the Commissioner. 

Photo credit: Council of Europe archive