Turkey: Continuous Deterioration for Freedom of Expression
15 June 2017, 10 – 11:00am
Room XXIV, Palais des Nations
On 12 June, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, will report to the HRC on his November 2016 country visit to Turkey. In his preliminary conclusions and observations, the Special Rapporteur deemed the situation for free expression to be “grave”, highlighting that counter-terrorism legislation and the prolonged state of emergency are being used to severely restrict fundamental rights and freedoms, with scores of journalists and writers prosecuted and held in pre-trial detention for months.
ARTICLE 19, PEN International and Reporters Without Borders invite you to join the Special Rapporteur to discuss the findings of his report, and to reflect on the continuously deteriorating situation for free expression in Turkey.
Panellists:
David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Burhan Sönmez, prize-winning novelist; board member of PEN International
Elif Günay, writer and translator; her father, journalist Turhan Günay, has been held in pre-trial detention since October 2016
Moderator:
Sarah Clarke, International Policy and Advocacy Manager, PEN International