| Dear Friends,
As we review the achievements and challenges of 2009, one is struck by what the organisation has continued to accomplish year after year. Equally, one is reminded of the urgency and need for our work to persevere unabated if justice, equality and the rule of law are to prevail. Across the Kurdish regions in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and the Caucasus, we endeavour to help cultivate more open and inclusive communities in which everyone is recognised as worthy of human dignity in accordance with international human rights standards. And we recognise that to achieve an enduring human rights culture, we also need to contribute to building vibrant civil societies, capable of keeping the power and actions of state institutions in check.
Across the Kurdish regions, KHRP contributed to the evolving debate on possible solutions to the armed conflict in Turkey, by creating the space for democratic debate on hot-button issues, and preparing organisations with the tools necessary to effectively engage with government. Through our work, we continued to encourage an integrated approach, pushing for all parties to the conflict to be included in any formal initiatives considered and fully addressing the political, civil, social, cultural and economic realms within it.
In 2009 alone, KHRP sought remedies for nearly 200 victims and survivors of human rights abuse in complaints before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and through urgent action appeals to various UN Special Rapporteurs. Favourable judgments from the ECtHR and proceedings in ongoing cases continued to call culpable state authorities to account. Meanwhile, our cross-border trainings addressed regional issues such as water management, human trafficking and women’s rights, to the condition of internally displaced persons (IDPs), most recently exacerbated by Turkey’s incursions — which continue with the acquiesce of the international community — into northern Iraq. Through our work we have shown that the mechanisms of a democratic society, such as a fair and incorruptible judiciary, can ameliorate injustice and work for and on behalf of everyone. On a practical level, by imparting an awareness of the expectations on governments, we have worked to arm women, minorities and other individuals with the day-to-day tools needed to bring about a more just society.
In Turkey, KHRP welcomes reforms introduced under the Government’s self-termed ‘Democratic Initiative’ and their increasing willingness to reach out to state actors in Kurdistan, Iraq. Yet other measures have disappointingly paved the way for the lives and livelihoods of Kurds and other minorities to come under continued attack, within and beyond their own borders. Not least, the Turkish Parliament’s extension to its cross-border military action, the sustained imposition of security zones in parts of the Kurdish Southeast, and the Government’s failure to act in confronting the staunch ethnic nationalist foundations of the Turkish Republic.
Our work has also underscored the extent to which Turkey’s own citizens are subjected to torture and ill-treatment. Most disturbingly, this includes high numbers of children increasingly convicted and detained under anti-terror charges. We have also continued to shine a light on the systemic harassment faced by human rights defenders, as epitomised in the arbitrary arrest and detention of members of human rights groups and political parties who speak on Kurdish issues. Alongside, our missions and training workshops — including the observation of our first trial concerning spousal violence — we have brought commonly overlooked human rights abuses, such as forced marriage and honour killings, to the fore.
In the Caucasus, KHRP’s litigation, human rights advocacy and capacity-building trainings, have built on successes of the preceding year. In 2009, KHRP welcomed a series of damning rulings from the ECtHR finding the Republic of Armenia guilty of inhuman and degrading treatment and for violations of rights to free assembly and fair trial after prominent opposition activists and politicians were arbitrarily detained on public order offences. These verdicts have made it abundantly clear that the systemic repression and harassment of the political opposition has become almost the modus operandi of the incumbent regime.
Throughout 2009, the extreme measures deployed by Iran and Syria to crack down on the fundamental rights and freedoms of its Kurdish inhabitants have too remained a cause for concern. The ‘disappearance’, arbitrary detention, torture and sentencing to death of Kurdish civilians, political activists and teachers, is commonplace in both states. In Iran particularly, 2009 saw an escalation of blunt authoritarian repression following the disputed presidential elections in June. Consequently, our numerous communications to various UN Working Groups and Special Rapporteurs have sought to encourage both countries to bring their legislation and praxis in-line with accepted human right norms.
Meanwhile, the long-term social, cultural and environmental damage brought on by Turkey and Iran’s illegal and indiscriminate bombing of northern Iraq, is still unfolding three years after it began. Throughout 2009, not only did KHRP’s fact-finding missions and published reports continue to document the devastating toll wrought on Iraqi civilian populations, but we also continued to mount potentially groundbreaking legal challenges concerning the principle of extra-territorial jurisdiction at the ECtHR.
Without further ado, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all who have been involved in our efforts over the past year. As always we owe much of our success to the collective expertise of our Patrons, Directors, Advisory Board, Legal Team, staff and local partners, and their heartfelt dedication towards the fulfilment of KHRP’s goals. Thanks also go out to our numerous interns and volunteers; as an integral part to the organisation, their contributions are vital to our daily operations. Finally, we extend our warmest thanks to those donors and funders — both old and new — who have made possible our achievements, and more so in these still difficult economic times. That we continue to enjoy such widespread support drives forward our ambitions to ensure that principles of universal human rights cease to become merely an imagined concept, but translate into a daily reality for people everywhere.
Kerim Yıldız, Chief Executive
Michael Ivers, Chairman |
