EuroMed Rights calls for the immediate release of Human Rights Defender Şebnem Korur Fincancı.
Şebnem Korur Fincancı is the Chairperson of Turkish Medical Association and a board member of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey.
Upon orders from a Public Prosecutor in Ankara, Şebnem Korur Fincancı was arrested on the morning of October 26 under Art 7/2 of the anti-Terror Law and Art. 301/2 of the Turkish Penal Code for further interrogation. These two articles are respectively related to acts of propaganda of an illegal/terrorist organisation and speech degrading the military or security organisation of the state. EuroMed Rights understands this arrest is linked to comments she made in the press about allegations of the use of chemical weapon by Turkey in Kurdistan regional federation of Iraq.
In the past few years, Art. 7/2 of the anti-terror Law and Art. 301/2 of the Turkish Penal Code have repeatedly been used to silence opponents and crack down on Human Rights Defenders as EuroMed Rights previously denounced. Through her medical and human rights work, Şebnem Korur Fincancı participates to the “promotion (…), protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms and national and international levels” as stated in the United Nations’ Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
For this reason, EuroMed Rights calls for her immediate release and for all bogus charges against her to be dropped.