Human Rights Foundation - Struggle against Torture Enters 20th Year

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) entered its 20^th year of struggle against torture yesterday (30 December). The foundation's status was published in the Official Gazette on 30 December 1990, after it had been established by a group of 32 human rights defenders.

During the past 19 years, TİHV helped more than 12,000 torture victims by providing treatment, rehabilitation and social support. From January till November 2009, a total of 436 people applied to the foundation.

Foundation President Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı stresses two crucial differences TİHV has created during its work: "Awareness has been created that torture does exist in Turkey. Furthermore, we indicated that effects of torture should be repaired and that reparation is possible. The problems for physical and mental health caused by torture had not been realized before", Fincancı explicates.

TİHV has got branches in Turkey's major cities of Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana and Diyarbakır. In the course of its activities the foundation received nine awards in Turkey and abroad. TİHV issues annual human rights reports and reports regarding treatment/rehabilitation centres. Besides, the organization is involved in preparing and publishing guidelines such as the Istanbul Protocol, an international guideline for medical diagnosis of torture.

TİHV organizes the Human Rights Movement Conference in cooperation with the Human Rights Association (İHD) and participates in international Mental Trauma meetings. The foundation was among the organizers of the "Health as a Bridge to Peace in the Middle East" meeting held in October this year. Moreover, TİHV is one of the members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Coalition which campaigns for the recognition of the ICC's judicial power in Turkey.

Latest project: disappeared people

The human rights foundation announced its new program regarding enforced disappearances in Turkey at the beginning of this month. The project is aimed at finding people who were kidnapped and killed during 25 years of war and whose bodies could still not be found. The project works on finding out the reasons for and the way of death in order to provide a documentation of the deceased in accordance with human dignity and to be able to bury their remains.

One of the project's aims is related to the families of the disappeared people: the project intends to enable the relatives of the deceased persons to bid farewell and to come to terms with their mourning. Additionally, by protecting the rights of the relatives the project is aimed at initiating a reparation process concerning the destruction caused by the war and the massacres.

How to support TİHV

As a general principle, the foundation does not accept donations or support from institutions and individuals that violate human rights.

In order to support the TİHV's struggle against torture and defend human rights the foundation suggests the following prompts:

- Recognizing and promoting the foundation's work;

- Forwarding information and documents about witnessed violations of human rights to the nearest TİHV centre;

- Donations in kind or cash without concerns about the amount;

- For medical doctors, psychologists, nurses, social workers and physiotherapists: joining our voluntary network concerning treatment and rehabilitation measures for torture victims or research on proof of torture;

- For lawyers: contributing as a lawyer or a consultant during the legal process of torture cases with the proven claim of torture. (TK/VK)