UN rapporteurs raise concerns over judicial harassment of civil society group in Turkey

30.09.2026

By SCF

Source:https://stockholmcf.org/un-rapporteurs-raise-concerns-over-judicial-harassment-of-civil-society-group-in-turkey/

United Nations human rights rapporteurs have raised concerns about what they describe as continued judicial harassment of an İstanbul-based civil society organization, questioning a court ruling declaring it legally defunct and a separate case seeking its dissolution.

In a letter dated July 30 and made public on Tuesday, the UN rapporteurs detailed their concerns about legal proceedings against the Tarlabaşı Community Center (TTM), including an April appeals court ruling that found the organization had ceased to legally exist in 2007 and a separate case seeking its dissolution over activities authorities allege violate the law and public morality.

The UN experts said the proceedings appeared to be directly linked to the TTM’s work on minority, women’s, children’s and LGBTQ+ rights and could have a chilling effect on human rights defenders in Turkey, particularly those working with groups at risk of discrimination and marginalization.

The letter was signed by Andrea Bolaños Vargas, the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders; Gina Romero, the special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Graeme Reid, the independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity; and Claudia Flores, chair-rapporteur of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.

The UN rapporteurs had previously raised concerns about the proceedings against the TTM in a November 2025 letter to the Turkish government.

Since then, the İstanbul Regional Court of Justice on April 22 upheld a lower court ruling that the TTM had ceased to legally exist in September 2007, when the university project through which it was established ended, despite a court-appointed expert report concluding that the organization could continue operating independently. The TTM appealed the ruling at the Supreme Court of Appeals on May 20. The decision has not yet taken effect, allowing the organization to continue operating while the appeal is pending.

The UN rapporteurs asked the government to explain the ruling’s factual and legal basis, why the expert report was not taken into account and how the decision was compatible with international human rights law, particularly freedom of association.

The separate dissolution case, filed in February 2022, accuses the TTM of activities contrary to law and morality, citing an Interior Ministry report that alleged obscene social media content and efforts to influence children’s sexual orientation and normalize LGBTQ+ identities. The case remains pending while the court awaits the outcome of separate criminal proceedings against two TTM executives.

The UN mandate holders asked the government to explain the factual and legal basis for the case and how it was compatible with freedom of association. They said moral disapproval of same-sex relationships cannot justify restrictions on fundamental human rights.

The UN experts also asked what measures the government had taken to ensure that human rights defenders and civil society organizations can carry out their work in a safe and enabling environment without fear of threats, intimidation or harassment.