MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Following a coup attempt, on Saturday, Ankara issued a decree ordering the closure of thousands of private educational institutions, hospitals and associations as well as permanently discharging hundreds of judges, prosecutors, and civil servants without any investigation or means to appeal the decision. The decree also allows law enforcement to detain suspects for up to 30 days without a court decision and restricts detainees’ right to private communication with lawyers.
“The first state of emergency decree goes well beyond the legitimate aim of promoting accountability for the bloody July 15 coup attempt. It is an unvarnished move for an arbitrary, mass, and permanent purge of the civil service, prosecutors, and judges, and to close down private institutions and associations without evidence, justification, or due process,” Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey director for Human Rights Watch (HRW), was quoted as saying in the organization’s statement.
According to Sinclair-Webb, the wording of the decree allows for any public official to be fired for alleged contacts with members of "terrorist organizations" without the need to provide any evidence.
According to HRW, the fact that the decree expands the detention time for terrorism and organized crime suspects from four days to 30 days violates the European Convention, while restricting confidential legal counsel violates the detainee’s right to an effective defense.
Over 13,000 people have been detained and more than 50,000 judges, civil servants, military officers and educators have lost their jobs, according to media reports.
