statement on the possible reinstatement of the death...
TRANSCRIPT
Statement on the possible reinstatement of the death penalty in Turkey
The right to life is guaranteed by all major international and regional human rights treaties. The European Court of Human Rights has interpreted the right to life as “an inalienable attribute of human beings” and a “supreme value in the international hierarchy of human rights”.1 The undersigned organisations believe that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the fostering and protection of human dignity and the gradual development of a global culture of human rights. The undersigned therefore condemn, in the strongest terms, any attempt to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey. The undersigned insist on the fact that Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights. Consequently, Turkey is bound by Protocols 6 and 13 of the Convention which abolish the death penalty. In Turkey, the last execution took place in 1984. The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 2002, and finally abandoned on 7 May 2004. In addition, in 2006, Turkey became the 57th State to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. Therefore, the undersigned call upon the Turkish government to respect its international commitments, reminding them that Turkey has supported the recent World Congress Against the Death penalty held on 21-23 June 2016 in Oslo.
1 European Court of Human Rights, Judgment in the case of Streletz, Kessler and Krenz v. Germany, 22 March 2001, in particular paragraphs 72, 85, 87 and 94.
Michel BENICHOU President Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
Yves OSCHINSKY President European Bars Federation (FBE)
David FRØLICH President International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA)
Jean-Jacques UETTWILLER President International Association of Lawyers (UIA)
Carlos BOTELHO MONIZ President Union des Avocats Européens
Sabrina JENQUIN President European Lawyers' Association
Symone GAASBEEK-WIELINGA President Day of the Endangered Lawyer Foundation
Holger MATT President European Criminal Bar Association
Pascale TAELMANS President European Democratic Lawyers (EDL)
Daniela RAQUEL ALVES VALDEZ President European Young Bar Association
Bill BOWRING President European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH)
AUSTRALIA
Tony KENYON President National Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA)
AUSTRALIA
Stuart CLARK AM President Law Council of Australia
AUSTRIA Rupert WOLFF President Österreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag
BELGIUM
Jean-Pierre BUYLE President Ordres des barreaux francophones et germanophone de Belgique (AVOCATS.BE)
BELGIUM
Dominique MATTHIJS President Orde van Vlaamse Balies
CZECH REPUBLIC
Martin VYCHOPEŇ President Czech Bar Association
DENMARK Bjørn ELMQUIST President Legal Affairs Association (Retspolitisk Forening)
DENMARK
Peter FOGH President Danish Bar and Law Society
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Pascal EYDOUX President Conseil National des Barreaux
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Fédéric SICARD President Ordre des avocats de Paris
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Yves MAHIU President Conférence des Bâtonniers
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Ekkehart SCHÄFER President Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer
GERMANY
Ulrich SCHELLENBERG President Deutscher Anwaltverein
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Ingrid HEINLEIN Sprecherin der Fachgruppe Internationales der NRV Neue Richtervereinigung
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Francesco CAIA National Advisor & coordinator of the Human Rights Commission at the Consiglio Nazionale Forense LUXEMBOURG
François PRUM President Barreau du Luxembourg
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P.N. VAN REGTEREN ALTENA President Amsterdamse Orde van Advocaten
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Victoria ORTEGA BENITO President Consejo General de la Abogacía Española
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Bengt IVARSSON President Sveriges Advokatsamfund
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Robert BOURNS President The Law Society of England and Wales
UNITED KINGDOM
Chantal-Aimée DOERRIES QC President The Bar Council of England and Wales
UNITED KINGDOM
Eilidh WISEMAN President The Law Society of Scotland
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Alan SUMMERS QC Treasurer The Faculty of Advocates
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Brenan GARLAND President The Bar of Northern Ireland
UNITED KINGDOM
John GUERIN President The Law Society of Northern Ireland
QUEBEC
Claudia P. PRÉMONT President Barreau du Québec
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Ľubomír HREŽDOVIC President Slovak Bar Association
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Dr.iur. , LL.M. Sergio GIACOMINI President Swiss Bar Association
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Hannes VALLIKIVI Chairman Estonian Bar Association
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Malaysian Bar Association
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Martine GOUT President Barreau de Tulle
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Betty FAGOT President Barreau d’Agen
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Philip KLEIN President Ordre des Avocats d'Aix-en-Provence
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Jean-François CASALTA President Ordre des Avocats d’Ajaccio
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Isabelle DUGUET President Barreau de Bayonne
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Didier DARRAS President Barreau de Béthune
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Bertrand BRUNEAU DE LA SALLE President Barreau de Caen
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France ORZONNAT President Barreau de Cherbourg
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O. GSELL President Ordre des Avocats à la cour d'appel de Comar
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Laurent MARIN President Barreau de Coutances Avranches
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Marie-Pierre PRADEAU-IZARD President Barreau de Draguignan
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William DEVAINE President Barreau de la Charente
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Christine TEISSEIRE President Barreau de la Rochelle – Rochefort
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Olivier JOUGLAS President Barreau du Havre
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Laurence JUNOD-FANGET President Barreau de Lyon
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Djaffar BELHAMICI President Ordre des Avocats de la Cour d’appel de Metz
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André BRUNEL President Barreau de Montpellier
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Philippe BERTRAND President Barreau de Mulhouse
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Jean-Claude MONCEAUX President Barreau de Nîmes
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Eric GRASSIN President Barreau d’Orléans
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Thomas DROUINEAU President Barreau de Poitiers
Grégoire MANGEAT President Ordre des avocats de Genève
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Vincent LAURET President Ordre des Avocats de Quimper
Philip LE GOFF President Barreau de Rennes
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Arnaud de SAINT REMY President Barreau de Rouen
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Patrick ELGHOZI President Barreau de Saint-Brieuc
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Chendra KICHENIN President Barreau de Saint-Denis, Réunion
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GREECE
Vasilis E. ALEXANDRIS President Athens Bar Association
SLOVENIA