Kursat Çevik

Cases

Relevant SG report

From Country

Country Geolocation

Latitude: 38.963745

Longitude: 35.243322

From Region

Type of rights defended

Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?: Yes

Reported trigger of reprisal: Mr. Kursat Çevik, a Turkish police superintendent, was the subject of an opinion adopted on 16 June 2017 by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Mr. Çevik was arrested, together with 15 of his colleagues, on 21 July 2016.

Engagement with UN body

Type of attempted engagement

Reprisal information: Following the issuance of the opinion, Turkish pro-Government media circulated information distorting the opinion of the Working Group containing various accusations against Mr. Çevik. On 4 August 2017, the Turkish pro-government media accused Mr. Çevik of having acted as an intelligence officer for the French government, and accused “the United Nations” of requesting his release “because he had been set to leave Turkey for holidays” on 16 July 2016. The Working Group opinion also triggered reprisals at Mr. Çevik’s place of detention, where his cell was reportedly moved to separate him from his friends and colleagues, and he was denied food and purchases from the prison mess (A/HRC/39/45).

Types of reprisals suffered

Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?: No

Government response content: Government affirmed it had submitted to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention information on the procedures and remedies available, and that it rejected the conclusion that his detention was arbitrary. It further noted that Mr. Çevik was moved from Mardin Penitentiary to Sanhurfa Penitentiary on 17 July 2016, before the release of the report on 16 June 2017, and that subsequently “his cell was changed three times, in accordance with administrative needs.” The Government stated he was not subject to solitary confinement, separated from other detainees with similar charges, or denied food or purchases from the prison mess. The Government further noted that there is no government media outlet in Turkey other than the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, and any publication or broadcast by private media outlets reflect their own opinion.

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?: No

Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?: No

Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?: No