Spokesperson for
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva
Subject:
(1) Turkey
(2) Israel / Occupied Palestinian Territory
(3) Yemen
(1) Turkey
We are deeply concerned by recent attacks, discriminatory
treatment and incitement to violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people in Turkey. In the past two weeks alone, reported
incidents include the appearance of posters in Ankara encouraging the murder of
LGBT people; a violent homophobic attack against a group of young gay men in
Istanbul; as well as rape, assault and robbery against Kemal Ördek, a human
rights defender and founder of the Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights
Association. We are further concerned about allegations that in the last case,
police officers trivialized the attack, used discriminatory language, tried to
dissuade the victim from filing a complaint, and did not provide protection
from additional threats by the alleged perpetrators. These incidents follow
reports that the police used unwarranted force against individuals who were
peacefully assembling and participating in the 13th Istanbul LGBT Pride Parade.
Everyone is entitled to the same fundamental human rights
without discrimination or arbitrary restrictions of any kind, including the
rights to life, liberty, physical integrity, privacy, equality before the law,
freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. We call on the Turkish authorities
to take active measures to combat homophobic and transphobic violence and
discrimination, to uphold the rights of LGBT people to peacefully assemble and
express themselves and to ensure that LGBT victims of crimes are treated with
respect and dignity and have access to protection mechanisms and effective
remedy. This includes publicly condemning violence and hate speech against LGBT
people, ensuring that legislation on discrimination and incitement to hatred
and violence explicitly includes sexual orientation and gender identity, and
adopting policies to overcome discriminatory attitudes among public officials,
including the police and judiciary.
It is critical for authorities to prevent impunity for
these human rights violations through prompt, effective, independent and
impartial investigations and prosecution in line with fair trial norms and
standards. In that regard, we welcome the commitment by Turkey during the
Universal Periodic Review to ensure the investigation, prosecution and
punishment of serious human rights violations motivated by the victim’s sexual
orientation or gender identity. The UN Human Rights Office stands ready to
support efforts to this end.
(2) Israel / Occupied Palestinian Territory
We welcome the recent release of Khader Adnan who had
been on hunger strike since 5 May 2015 in protest at his continuing
administrative detention by the Israeli authorities since 8 July 2014. We
reiterate our call, last made in April, on Israel to end its practice of
administrative detention and to either release without delay or to promptly
charge all administrative detainees, affording them all the due process
guarantees required by international human rights law and standards. At the end of March 2015, 396 Palestinians
including one woman were reportedly held in administrative detention in Israel
Prison Service (IPS) facilities.
Administrative detainees are held without charge or trial, often on the
basis of secret evidence, for periods of up to six months, which are extendable
indefinitely. The Secretary-General, the UN Human Rights Office and the Human
Rights Committee have called for this practice to end.
On 14 June 2015, the Israeli cabinet approved a bill that
would permit the force-feeding of Palestinian hunger-striking prisoners. We are
concerned that the bill is now advancing towards final approval by the Knesset.
When a similar bill was proposed in the Israeli Knesset last year, both the
High Commissioner and a group of Special Procedures mandate holders expressed
concerns that the implementation of such a law could breach international human
rights standards. We reiterate those concerns today.
We are also seriously concerned at the situation of
another Palestinian hunger striker, this time being detained by the Palestinian
authorities. Islam Hasan Jameel Hamed has been protesting since 11 April 2015
at his continued detention by the Palestinian General Intelligence Services
despite a Palestinian court ruling that he has served his sentence – originally
imposed in 2011 – and should be immediately released. Hamed is in his fourth
month without food and his condition is now very serious. We urge the
Palestinian authorities to respect the court ruling and release Islam Hamed.
(3) Yemen
Between 3 and 13 July, at least 142 civilians, including
36 children and 27 women, were killed, and 224 others injured. This brings the
total civilian death toll since 26 March to 1,670. Another 3,829 were injured
during this period. Civilian infrastructure has also suffered, with at least
187 sites partially or completely destroyed as a result of the armed conflict.
On one particularly deadly day, 6 July, two markets in
different provinces were hit by airstrikes. In a market in Afiosh area in Lahj
Governorate, 40 civilians including 12 children and seven women were killed
while 17 other civilians were injured. In a popular market in Amran
Governorate, an airstrike killed 36 civilians, including eight women and nine
children and injured another 21 (including five children).
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please
contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or
Ravina Shamdasani (+ 41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org ) or Cécile Pouilly
(+41 22 917 9310 / +41 79 618 34 30/ cpouilly@ohchr.org).
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