{"id":42917,"date":"2026-03-18T17:06:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/42917\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T17:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:06:09","slug":"un-rights-rapporteur-to-monitor-trial-of-turkish-womens-rights-advocate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/42917\/","title":{"rendered":"UN rights rapporteur to monitor trial of Turkish women\u2019s rights advocate"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A United Nations human rights expert said she will closely monitor the trial of Turkish physician and women\u2019s rights defender Dr. Ay\u015fe U\u011furlu, urging authorities to drop the charges against her and reinstate her to public service.<\/p>\n

Mary Lawlor, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said she would follow proceedings scheduled for Wednesday and called on Turkish authorities to end what she described as prosecution linked to U\u011furlu\u2019s advocacy for women\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n

I will be closely following the trial of Turkish WHRD Dr. Ay\u015fe U\u011furlu on Wednesday. She is being prosecuted in connection with her advocacy on women\u2019s rights in #T\u00fcrkiye<\/a>. All charges against her must be dropped, and her dismissal from public service immediately revoked.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/rr6Z5BOp9f<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs (@MaryLawlorhrds) March 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI will be closely following the trial of Turkish WHRD [Women Human Rights Defender] Dr. Ay\u015fe U\u011furlu on Wednesday,\u201d Lawlor said in a statement on social media, adding that the charges should be dropped and that U\u011furlu\u2019s dismissal from public service should be immediately revoked.<\/p>\n

U\u011furlu, a forensic pathologist and longtime human rights advocate, is being prosecuted in connection with her activism for women\u2019s rights in Turkey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The criminal case against U\u011furlu stems from a statement she read at a May 2023 press conference organized by the Ankara Women\u2019s Platform, a coalition of women\u2019s rights organizations.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors allege that parts of the statement insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan, an offense under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes insulting the president and carries a prison sentence of up to four years.<\/p>\n

Authorities opened an investigation after complaints were filed over the wording of the declaration read at the event. The statement criticized government policies and what organizers described as growing pressure on women\u2019s rights activists and civil society.<\/p>\n

U\u011furlu has denied the accusation, saying she read a statement prepared by women\u2019s groups and that her remarks fall within the scope of freedom of expression and legitimate rights advocacy.<\/p>\n

The incident also triggered a disciplinary investigation by Turkey\u2019s Health Ministry, which concluded that her participation in the press conference constituted conduct incompatible with public service. She was subsequently dismissed from her position in May 2025 as a physician, a decision criticized by medical associations and rights organizations.<\/p>\n

Medical and human rights groups condemned U\u011furlu\u2019s dismissal at the time. The Ankara Chamber of Medicine said the penalty deprived a physician who had served the public for 35 years of both her profession and constitutional rights, describing the decision as incompatible with democratic principles and the rule of law. The chamber argued that freedom of thought and expression is protected under Turkey\u2019s constitution and international agreements to which the country is a party and called for U\u011furlu to be reinstated.<\/p>\n

The Turkish Medical Association also criticized the decision, saying U\u011furlu had been dismissed simply for reading a statement issued by the Ankara Women\u2019s Platform while representing the chamber. The association described the measure as unjust and said it would continue to stand by her.<\/p>\n

In a joint statement issued by the Human Rights Association, the Turkish Medical Association and other rights groups, organizations said the disciplinary investigation into U\u011furlu was unlawful and appeared to target her work defending human rights. The groups noted that U\u011furlu, a specialist in forensic medicine, had long worked on human rights issues and had frequently been asked by authorities to provide expert opinions in legal cases.<\/p>\n

In Turkey thousands of people are investigated, prosecuted or convicted on charges of insulting the president on the basis of the controversial Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).\u00a0<\/p>\n