Stockholm Center for Freedom Reports

Jailing Women in Turkey: Systematic Campaign of Persecution and Fear

April 2017 / (32 Pages)

SCF cited well-documented cases in this report to draw a picture of a larger pattern of institutionalized abuse of jailed women in Turkey as the art of systematic targeting by the authorities to crack down on the right to dissent, the right to freedom of speech and the right to hold differing views from the prevailing ideology of the current Islamist government. SCF believes the torture and ill-treatment of women in detention and jails are worse than what is publicly reported since many victims fear that coming forward and sharing their horrific stories about the abuse would lead to further negative repercussions from the authorities Read More

Turkey’s Descent Into Arbitrariness: The End of Rule

April 2017 / (44 Pages)

A growing consensus among jurists and analysts who have observed the rapid democratic backsliding in Turkey, a member of the Council of Europe (CoE), is that the rule of law has been effectively suspended under the renewed emergency rule and that the courts are practically controlled by the authoritarian regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who does not hesitate to abuse the criminal justice system to persecute his critics and opponents. In this context, this report provides examples suggesting that the rule of law is no longer applicable in Turkey and that domestic remedies have been rendered ineffective Read More

Suspicious Deaths and Suicides in Turkey

March 2017 / (37 Pages)

Following a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, there has been a massive increase in cases of ill-treatment and torture, along with unprecedented mass arrests and detentions in Turkey. In statements and criminal complaints made by defendants and their family members, widespread torture practices have been uncovered in detention centers and prisons. The Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) has investigated and documented 53 suspected deaths in the last six months alone Read More

Erdogan’s Long Arm in Europe: The Case of the Netherlands

February 2017/ (39 Pages)

SCF mapped out ways and methods of the Turkish government’s intimidation campaign targeting critics and dissidents abroad and studied examined Netherlands, a European country that is home to over 400,000 Turks, as a case study to decode what is being called ‘Erdogan’s long arm’ in Europe. Turkish president openly stated that no country in the world would be safe for members of Hizmet, vowed to pursue them wherever they are. This has led to physical attacks on lives and properties of critics, calls for boycott for their businesses, death threats and punishments of their relatives back in Turkey Read More

Freedom of the Press in Turkey: Far Worse Than You Think

January 2017 / (36 Pages)

This report by the Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) is about journalists, who were arrested, convicted, exiled or otherwise faced harassment in Turkey’s abusive criminal justice system. The main focus is naturally on those who have lost their freedom and are behind bars, although many others suffer in one way or another from the relentless persecution perpetrated by the Turkish government against critical, independent and opposition journalists SCF is seriously concerned that 2017 might be worse in terms of fundamental rights and freedoms, particularly freedom of the press and freedom of expression Read More