7. “Tunisia: Rescind ministerial order censoring health workers over 12 executives of the Ankara Bar Association. Covid-19”, 20 April They were accused of “insulting a public 8. “Algerian refugee deported from Tunisia now imprisoned in Algeria”, officer” for criticizing homophobic and 3 September discriminatory remarks made by the 9. “Tunisia: Release prominent LGBTI rights activist jailed for insulting president of the Directorate for Religious police”, 16 March Affairs during a Friday sermon in 2020. In 10. “Tunisia: Struggle for justice and reparation continues for victims 10 April, the Ankara court accepted the years after the revolution”, 14 January indictment. In July, the same permission was granted for the investigation against members TURKEY of the Istanbul and Izmir bar associations for “insulting religious values”. The investigations Republic of Turkey and prosecutions were ongoing at the end of Head of state and government: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the year. In July, parliament approved an omnibus Deep flaws in the judicial system were not bill extending emergency powers for another addressed. Opposition politicians, year and allowing the dismissal of public journalists, human rights defenders and servants, including judges and prosecutors, others faced baseless investigations, for having alleged links to “terrorist” prosecutions and convictions. Turkey organizations without the possibility of judicial withdrew from the Istanbul Convention. review. Government officials targeted LGBTI people REPRESSION OF DISSENT with homophobic rhetoric. Freedom of peaceful assembly was severely curtailed. A In January, the Ankara court accepted a new law unduly restricted freedom of 3,530-page indictment for the prosecution of association for civil society organizations. 108 people, including former and present Serious and credible allegations of torture members of the People’s Democratic Party and other ill-treatment were made. Turkey (HDP) and its former co-leader Selahattin hosted 5.2 million migrants and refugees, Demirtaş. The indictment contained 29 but thousands of asylum seekers were separate charges including “intentional denied entry. Physical attacks against killing” and “disrupting the unity and refugees and migrants increased in the territorial integrity of the state.” They were context of rising anti-refugee rhetoric. accused of mobilizing masses to commit BACKGROUND violence during protests on 6-8 October 2014 under the instructions of the Kurdistan The new Human Rights Action Plan and two Workers Party (PKK). Dubbed the “Kobani Judicial Reform Packages prepared by the trial”, proceedings were ongoing at the end of Ministry of Justice failed to address deep the year. flaws in the judiciary. In March, human rights defender and In October, parliament extended the opposition parliamentarian Ömer Faruk mandate for military operations in Syria and Gergerlioğlu was stripped of his immunity Iraq for another two years. A threat by the and imprisoned after the Court of Cassation president to expel 10 Western ambassadors upheld his two-and-a-half-year prison after they called for the immediate release of sentence for sharing a tweet in 2016. He was civil society leader Osman Kavala was released after almost three months in custody withdrawn after several days. following a ruling in July by the Constitutional STATE OVERREACH Court that his rights to liberty and to participate in political life had been violated. JUDICIARY AND LAWYERS In April, in another case against Selahattin In January, the Ministry of Justice granted Demirtaş, the Court of Cassation upheld his permission to open an investigation against four years and eight months’ prison sentence Amnesty International Report 2021/22 371