Despite the rain, many demonstrators wearing t-shirts with ECHR written on them stayed until the end of the rally. Some left support messages on a fresco called the ‘wall of justice’. Dozens of alarm clocks were placed next to a banner on the ground that read ‘It’s time for justice!’
Third Justice Meeting in Strasbourg: A Call Drawing Attention to Human Rights
The 3rd Justice Meeting held yesterday in Strasbourg, France, brought human rights violations and political pressure on the judiciary to the agenda. The event was also widely covered by the French press. This meeting, also featured on the www.dna.fr news site, became the voice of the search for justice for those affected by KHK in Europe.
Calls for Justice Blowing European Winds
Especially those affected by KHK living in France, Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium gathered for the third time in front of the Council of Europe to express their demands for justice. The crowd, drawing attention with English banners they carried, invited the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to take action. Yellow banners with powerful messages such as ‘European Court of Human Rights, don’t close your eyes’, ‘No one is free when others are oppressed’, and ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ waved in front of the Council of Europe at noon. These banners became a powerful call from thousands of Turkish citizens to European institutions.
Words of KHK-affected Diplomat Rumi Ünal
KHK-affected diplomat Rumi Ünal also shared his views at the event. Ünal stated that the AKP government has been committing human rights violations against opponents, especially members of the Gülen movement, since 2016, and that this process peaked with arrests made on the grounds of downloading the messaging application called ByLock. He expressed that mass arrests were made on charges of ‘membership in a terrorist organization’ due to this application.
As part of the event, various speakers took the stage set up on Europe Street to remind of the issues. Unjustly imprisoned victims also shared their own stories, drawing attention to what happened. A young man deeply moved the audience with his words, ‘I’m not here for revenge, but every moment we remain silent, injustices increase.’
Despite the rainy weather, many demonstrators wearing t-shirts with ‘European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)’ written on them stayed in the area until the end of the rally. Some participants wrote support messages on a fresco called the ‘wall of justice’. On the ground, dozens of alarm clocks were placed next to a banner that read ‘Justice Time Now!’ in English. This symbolic action powerfully conveyed the message that justice should not be delayed.
