3 March 2025
FREEDOM FOR NİMET TANRIKULU
Human rights defender Nimet Tanrıkulu has been deprived of her liberty and she has been in prison since 26 November 2024. On 26 November, she was detained at her home in İstanbul and taken to the Ankara Counter-Terrorism Police Department as part of an investigation conducted in Ankara. After being held in this department for three days she was arrested by Ankara 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace and was sent to Sincan Prison.
Nimet Tanrıkulu is a well-known human rights defender at the national as well as the international level. She is a person also known for her feminist, Kurdish and Alevi identities who has worked in many fields in the struggle for human rights. Nimet Tanrıkulu is one of the pioneers and spokespersons of the 78’ers Initiative. Her imprisonment is unacceptable. Nimet Tanrıkulu is being held in prison in a way that subjects her to ill-treatment and violation of her rights which is in contradiction with the domestic law of the Republic of Turkey and international conventions that are recognised as superior to domestic law.
The charges in the indictment are irrational and unlawful. Nimet Tanrıkulu’s participation in activities that can be attended by anyone who struggles for human rights in the civilian sphere, such as her alleged social media posts about ‘Seyit Rıza and Deniz Gezmiş’ or her participation in a meeting called ‘Women’s Freedom Studies Workshop’ and the fact that ‘the base records of her phone were taken from Dersim’ on the day of Sakine Cansız’s funeral ceremony, all have been considered as the subject of accusations against her. Likewise, the statement made by a confessor about Nimet Tanrıkulu is also based on a completely false statement.
Nimet Tanrıkulu, due to similar accusations had already given testimony for an investigation No: 2012/2199 which was conducted by Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor Office and the prosecutor’s office had ruled for non-prosecution. Likewise, in a lawsuit filed against her by 8th Penal Court in Diyarbakır with No. 2018/470, the court decided to “suspend the proceedings” based on the previous non-prosecution judgement that there were no grounds for an investigation. This is an extremely important legal situation. In the case of Remzi Çalışkan, a trade unionist who was detained in the same operation with Nimet Tanrıkulu, the Ankara Heavy Penal Court took the decision of non-prosecution into consideration and ruled for his release.
Although we submitted the above-mentioned court decisions to the İstanbul 24th Heavy Penal Court, where Nimet Tanrıkulu is being tried, the court did not take these allegations and defences into consideration and ruled to perpetuate her imprisonment. We believe that this decision is against the conscience of law.
Nimet Tanrıkulu has never conducted her activities in the struggle for human rights in secret. She is a feminist, Kurdish and Alevi woman who express her opinion everywhere in an exceedingly open way. She is an invaluable human rights defender who has been involved in the Human Rights Association (İHD) since its foundation. She has never given up defending peace in any part of her life. Therefore, imprisonment of Nimet Tanrıkulu, is in contradiction with both reason and legal conscience, as well as the domestic law of the Republic of Turkey and the international conventions it has signed.
Nimet Tanrıkulu is going to be tried at the İstanbul 24th Heavy Penal Court on 4 March 2025, at 11.00. As her friends, we will not let her alone. We demand an immediate end to this judicial harrasment of Nimet Tanrıkulu and her release.
Signatory Organisations
İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD)
78’liler Hareketi
Alevi Bektaşi Federasyonu (ABF)
Barış Vakfı
Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği (ÇHD)
Demokratik Alevi Dernekleri (DAD)
Diyarbakır Barosu
Eşit Haklar İçin İzleme Derneği (ESHİD)
Hak İnisiyatifi Derneği
Hakikat Adalet Hafıza Merkezi
İnsan Hakları Gündemi Derneği (İHGD)
Kadın Kültür Sanat Edebiyat Derneği (KASED)
Kamu Emekçileri Sendikaları Konfederasyonu (KESK)
Özgürlük İçin Hukukçular Derneği (ÖHD)
Pir Sultan Abdal Kültür Derneği (PSAKD)
TTB İnsan Hakları Kolu
Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı (TİHV)
Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği
Yurttaşlık Derneği