Turkey: End Brutal Crackdown on Peaceful Protest and Human Rights Defenders

Mass protests erupted across Turkey on 19 March 2025, following the detention of more than 100 individuals —including the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu. These arrests, made as part of investigations into allegations of “corruption” and “terrorism”, and their timing have raised widespread concerns that the charges are politically motivated - just days before İmamoğlu’s expected presidential candidacy.

In the immediate aftermath of the arrests, authorities imposed sweeping restrictions, including days-long blanket bans on gatherings across multiple cities, restricted access to several social media platforms curbing access and preventing the dissemination of information, and shut down major public transportation routes in İstanbul, all in a systematic effort to suppress dissent and mobilisations.

Despite these measures, thousands have continued to gather in protest across the country since 19 March. While protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, journalists and civil society organisations have documented grave human rights violations in several locations, and particularly in Saraçhane, Istanbul, including an indiscriminate and disproportionate display of police violence and brutality that may amount to torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings with batons, demonstrators being kicked while subdued on the ground, close-range targeting with Kinetic Impact Projectiles (KIPs), as well as the indiscriminate use of chemical irritants and water cannons. Based on widely circulated footage and public testimonies, and in line with the UN Committee Against Torture’s recommendations to Turkey following its periodic review in 2024, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) has also denounced the use of restraint methods that inflict unnecessary pain, such as prolonged handcuffing behind the back and stress positions. These practices, known to cause serious health consequences, have at times been publicised by police officers themselves via personal accounts, seemingly as a tactic of intimidation.

Reports have stated that protesters who have been met with excessive police force have suffered grave and long-lasting injuries such as head trauma and eye damage due to tear gas cartridges and KIPs, burns and respiratory issues due to the indiscriminate and widespread use of tear gas and water cannons, which in some cases resulted in their hospitalisation. The full extent of the injuries, as well as the physical and psychological toll on protestors’ health, will only become clear in the following months.

According to the report of Human Rights Association (İHD), as of 27 March 2025, a total of 1,879 people—including children, lawyers, journalists, students, union leaders and human rights defenders—have been taken into custody during protests and house raids on the grounds of inciting protests, engaging in violence, concealing their faces with masks, and using bats or other objects. Over 260 of them have been placed in pre-trial detention, while judicial control measures have been imposed on 468 individuals simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest. Istanbul Bar Association Child Rights Committee reported that among the arrested in İstanbul, 20 were under the age of 18.

Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) also highlights incidents of torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence in detention facilities. Lawyers have denounced the treatment of seven female detainees who were subjected to beatings as well as unjustified strip searches while in custody. According to a released testimony, another female victim reported being groped by a police officer while handcuffed behind the back and forcefully pinned to the ground and that she soiled herself out of fear during the ordeal. She was reportedly placed under house arrest after her testimony. The Turkish Medical Association has recalled the importance of medical examinations upon entry in custody and detention to prevent and document torture and other ill-treatment.

Human rights defenders, including those monitoring the protests, have also become targets of State repression during the protests. Journalists and media organisations covering protests have also been persecuted, infringing on the right to freedom of expression and the right to information. As of 28 March, at least 14 journalists were detained after covering the protest.

Lawyers representing those who were arbitrarily detained in the context of protests, were also targeted. At least 14 lawyers were detained, including the lawyer of İmamoğlu, demonstrating the State authorities' disregard for the rule of law and the right to defence, due process and justice. In the midst of the protests as part of the general intimidation strategy against lawyers, on 21 March the Istanbul Bar Association’s executive board was dismissed by the decision of İstanbul 2nd Civil Court of First Instance- a move that raises serious concerns of further attacks on the independence of the legal profession and the detainees' right to legal representation. Following the decision, police interfered as lawyers attempted to march from the courthouse in Çağlayan to the Istanbul Bar Association building in Taksim to protest the decision.

The undersigned organisations express solidarity with the human rights defenders, CSOs and demonstrators in Turkey standing up for democracy and human rights. We urge the Turkish authorities to:

1. Fully respect and protect the right to peaceful assembly and expression—both individually and collectively—as protected under international human rights law. The legitimate exercise of these rights cannot be treated as a criminal act. All individuals who have been arbitrarily detained for participating in peaceful protests must be released immediately and unconditionally.

2. Stop the disproportionate use of excessive force to disperse protests and restraint techniques, such as handcuffing behind the back, against peaceful demonstrators. The use of methods inflicting unnecessary severe pain and suffering constitutes a clear violation of the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Any use of less lethal weapons must be in line with the UN Guidance on the use of less lethal weapons by law enforcement. Allegations of extracustodial torture must be promptly, independently and effectively investigated and all officials responsible for violations must be held accountable.

3. Ensure the protection of human rights defenders – including members of civil society, monitors, journalists, students, lawyers, bar associations, union leaders– by guaranteeing they can carry out their legitimate work independently and safely, free from violence, threats, harassment or arbitrary detention. Ensuring their safety and independence is essential to upholding justice and accountability.

The widespread and excessive use of force against protestors, the treatment of hundreds of detainees, and the targeting of human rights defenders expose Turkey’s disregard of international human rights law, including the UN Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. We urge the international community to closely monitor these escalating abuses and take decisive action to hold Turkish authorities accountable for their violations.

Signatories:

• ARTICLE 19

• Asociación Unidad de Defensa Jurídica, Registro y Memoria para Nicaragua (AUDJUDRNIC)

• CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

• ILGA-Europe

• Front Line Defenders

• Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

• United Against Torture Consortium (UATC), through its following members:

• The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)

• Omega Research Foundation,

• Redress

• And the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).

• Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos - Guatemala (UDEFEGUA)

• Within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders:

• International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH),

• World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).