It is observed that worldwide reactions to Israel's attacks, which have targeted houses, hospitals and places of worship in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, causing the death of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, violating international law and humanitarian law norms and constituting a war crime, were given. Calls for ending these attacks and establishing a ceasefire. have been made by many countries of the world, especially the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Although there is a global reaction to Israel's attacks, which constitute war crimes, statements have been made by the United States and some European countries regarding the legitimacy of Israeli attacks. In addition, sanctions have begun to be imposed on individuals, groups of individuals or demonstrations that condemn these actions that constitute war crimes by Israel or support the State of Palestine.
Since the first days of the Israeli attacks, artists, journalists, athletes, academics, politicians, students, business world and civil society all over the world have reacted to these attacks, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians and calling for the attacks to be stopped, and organized marches in support of Palestine. Although freedom of expression and the right to hold meetings and demonstration marches are guaranteed by the international human rights acquis, various sanctions have been imposed on these people. Because of their statements and demonstrations, artists, journalists and athletes were subjected to sanctions such as dismissal, termination of sponsorship contracts and cancellation of concerts, and academics were subject to restrictions on working in their fields and publishing their works. Students, who were subjected to disciplinary investigations and expelled from school by university administrations for exercising their right to freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration against the massacre, were made difficult or prevented from exercising their right to education. In the business world, various embargoes were imposed on businesses that reacted against this massacre, and their activities were restricted. In some European countries such as England, France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany, solidarity demonstrations for Palestinians were restricted and people participating in these demonstrations faced police intervention and detention orders.
According to Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”According to Article 20 of the UDHR, “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”According to Article 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR): “Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.” Articles 21 and 22 of the CCPR guarantee freedom of assembly and association. According to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), titled “Freedom of expression”: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.”According to Article 11 titled “Freedom of assembly and association”: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association.”
For those who react against the genocide committed by Israel, their fundamental rights and freedoms, such as “freedom of expression, right to work, right to education and right to hold meetings and demonstrations marches”, which are guaranteed by international human rights law, particularly by the UDHR, ICCPR and ECHR, are hampered or is blocked.
As the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, we call for an end to the “Global Witch Hunt”, which leads to the violation of fundamental rights and freedoms, especially freedom of expression, the right to work and the right to education, for those who express their reaction against the genocide in Gaza. We reiterate our call to stop the ongoing massacre in Gaza as soon as possible, with the hope that human rights should be seen not only as the rights of the powerful, but as rights that every individual in the world has, and that the material equality promised by the modern human rights system will be realized as soon as possible.
Respectfully announced to the public.