Turkey must stop unfair prosecutions of children, says Amnesty International
Turkey must stop unfair prosecutions of children, says Amnesty International
Turkey must stop unfair prosecutions of children under anti-terrorism laws. Amnesty International is calling on the Turkish authorities to end the flawed prosecutions of children as young as 12 under draconian anti-terrorism legislation.
The organization today published a report called, "Turkey: All children have rights: End unfair prosecutions of children under anti-terrorism legislation". The report focuses on the systematic violations of the rights of the children committed during their arrest, detention and trial.
Thousands of children in Turkey, some as young as 12, have been prosecuted under anti-terrorism legislation, solely for their alleged participation in demonstrations considered by the government to be in support of terrorism. The demonstrations are focused on issues of concern to members of the Kurdish community, and often involve clashes with the police.
The report contains many first-hand accounts from the children about their ill-treatment on arrest and in police custody.
In many cases legal protections for children in pre-charge detention were not followed.
“Children accused of participation in demonstrations are detained in adult police custody in the Anti-Terror branch rather than the Children’s branch of police stations. There, they are often subjected to unofficial interrogation in the absence of lawyers or social workers. Records of these statements are often later used as evidence in the children’s prosecutions,” said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International’s expert on Turkey.
The organization today published a report called, "Turkey: All children have rights: End unfair prosecutions of children under anti-terrorism legislation". The report focuses on the systematic violations of the rights of the children committed during their arrest, detention and trial.
Thousands of children in Turkey, some as young as 12, have been prosecuted under anti-terrorism legislation, solely for their alleged participation in demonstrations considered by the government to be in support of terrorism. The demonstrations are focused on issues of concern to members of the Kurdish community, and often involve clashes with the police.
The report contains many first-hand accounts from the children about their ill-treatment on arrest and in police custody.
In many cases legal protections for children in pre-charge detention were not followed.
“Children accused of participation in demonstrations are detained in adult police custody in the Anti-Terror branch rather than the Children’s branch of police stations. There, they are often subjected to unofficial interrogation in the absence of lawyers or social workers. Records of these statements are often later used as evidence in the children’s prosecutions,” said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International’s expert on Turkey.
