EMHRN-IHD protest against the refusal to enter the Turkish territory opposed to Mr Jon Rud

Copenhagen and Ankara, 14 November 2008

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the Human Rights Association (IHD – a member organisation of the EMHRN) protest against the refusal to enter the Turkish territory opposed to Mr Jon Rud, individual member of the EMHRN, and urge the Turkish authorities to allow Mr. Rud access to Turkey.

Mr. Jon Rud is a distinguished Norwegian lawyer in the field of human rights. Formerly Chairman of Amnesty International in Norway and of the Norwegian Bar Human Rights Committee, he is an individual member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network since 2006.

Jon Rud was invited to participate to a meeting of the EMHRN’s Working Group on Justice which took place in Istanbul, Turkey on 8-10 November 2009. However, upon his arrival at Istanbul Airport on Friday 7 November, he was promptly informed by the police that he was refused the right to enter the territory and that he would “never be permitted to enter Turkey”. No reason or explanations were given for this refusal. Despite his protests and the fact that he had an official invitation to attend the meeting issued by the EMHRN, Mr. Rud was put back on the same airplane by which he had arrived and he was sent back within one hour.

The EMHRN and the IHD recall that in May 1999 the Turkish embassy in Norway informed Mr Rud that he was considered by the Turkish authorities as an “unwanted person”.  Although no reason was given for this decision, Mr. Rud gained the impression that this was due to his criticism of the human rights situation in Turkey in various writings, speeches and appearances in the media, which had been seen as “hostile” to Turkey. However, based on contacts that had been made with the Turkish Ministry of the Interior and two Turkish ambassadors, who had investigated into his situation, Mr. Rud was led to believe that he would be allowed to enter into Turkey this time.

The EMHRN and the IHD recall also that Mr. Jon Rud is a human rights lawyer and activist who has never done anything else than using his right to peaceful expression of opinions in accordance with international and European norms, which have been accepted by Turkey and incorporated in its own legislation.

They recall furthermore that Turkey, as a member country of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has committed itself to allow members of non-governmental organizations seeking the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms to have unhindered access to and communication with similar bodies within and outside its territory as expressed in paragraph 10.4 of the Document of the Copenhagen meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (the Copenhagen Document, 1990).

Accordingly, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and the Human Rights Association urge the Turkish authorities to remove Mr. Jon Rud from the informal list of “unwanted persons” and to allow him unhindered and free access to Turkey.

For further information: EMHRN, Marc Degli-Esposti, +45 32 64 17 16

For further information: IHD, Osman Isci, + 90 312 466 49 13