GENEVA / TURKEY HUMAN RIGHTS

The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said it has received a positive response from Turkish authorities to allow independent investigators access to the country’s south-east to verify reports of human rights violations allegedly committed by military and security forces. UNTV-CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:17
• Production Date: 13 May 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS; TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL TREATMENT
• Geographic Subject: TURKEY
• MAMS Id: 1624120
• Parent Id: 1624120
• Alternate Title: unifeed160513b

Description

STORY: GENEVA / TURKEY HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 02:17
SOURCE: UNTV-CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 13 MAY 2016

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Palais des Nations
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The High Commissioner, as a consequence, on Wednesday, sent a letter renewing our request to the Turkish Government for its formal agreement to allow a UN human rights office team to have access to the country, in order to independently examine allegations of violations of international law, including conflicting and competing claims about what has been going on in the south-east.”
4. Medium shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English): Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We are ready to send a team at the earliest opportunity and, in light of the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we look forward to swift official confirmation that this mission will indeed be welcomed and fully supported by the Turkish authorities”.
6. Medium shot, journalists
7. Close up, journalist
8. SOUNDBITE (English): Alessio Bruni, Member of the United Nations Committee against Torture: “Turkey has laws and other provisions prohibiting torture, but unfortunately torture is still practiced to a certain extent, and the application of the laws on the prohibition of torture rarely are conducive to legal proceedings, judicial proceedings with a sentence and a penalty for those who are responsible for the acts of torture”.
9. Close up, View finder
10. Close up, hands
11. SOUNDBITE (English): Alessio Bruni, Member of the United Nations Committee against Torture:
“The Turkish authorities are taking measures to improve the situation, but still there is a situation of overcrowding and lack of adequate medical services, and in certain prisons, there are also somehow forms of intimidation or sometimes ill-treatment against the inmates which is, of course, not legal.”
12. Close up, eyes

Storyline

The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said it has received a positive response from Turkish authorities to allow independent investigators access to the country’s south-east to verify reports of human rights violations allegedly committed by military and security forces.

OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville told reports in Geneva today (13 MAY) that High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein sent a letter asking for a formal agreement granting an investigative team access to country, after the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced they “would be pleased to welcome a visit by the High commissioner to the region.” Colville said his office was ready to send a team “at the earliest opportunity” and looks forward to a swift official confirmation.

The United Nations (UN) Committee against Torture also concluded its observations on the situation in Turkey today. Alessio Bruni, a member of the committee, said that one of the main findings of their latest report was that torture was still taking place in the country despite national laws that prohibit the practice. He said applications of the laws on the prohibition of torture “rarely are conducive to legal proceeding, judicial proceeding with a sentence and a penalty for those who are responsible for the acts of torture.” Bruni said the committee was particularly concerned with the situation of the asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants, especially those considered most vulnerable such as victims of torture or those who have lost family members in the Syrian conflict.

According to the Committee's findings, there are serious concerns about "numerous credible reports of law enforcement officials engaging in torture and ill-treatment of detainees while responding to perceived and alleged security threats in the south-eastern part of the country." Bruni said that Turkish authorities are taking measures to improve the situation, “but still there is a situation of overcrowding and lack of adequate medical services and in certain prisons there are also somehow forms of intimidation or sometimes ill-treatment against the inmates which is not legal”.

The Committee is also concerned that allegations of excessive use of force against demonstrations have increased dramatically during the period under review and the numerous reports of intimidation, harassment and violence against human rights defenders, journalists and medical doctors who provide assistance to victims of torture.