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Emine Ocak, a member of Saturday Mothers Turkish group is detained by Turkish female riot police during a demonstration on August 25, 2018 in Istanbul. - Istanbul police break up a regular demonstration by Turkish mothers and other relatives of people that were forcibly disappeared in the 1980s and 1990s, detaining dozens as they marked holding the 700th such weekly protest. (Photo by Hayri TUNC / AFP) (Photo credit should read HAYRI TUNC/AFP/Getty Images) ------- The photo shows Emine Ocak, mother of Hasan Ocak, who was forcibly disappeared in the hands of the state in 1995 at age 23. The longstanding peaceful vigil known as the ‘Saturday Mothers’ vigil first started as a response to the hundreds of reported cases of enforced disappearances during the 1980s and 1990s by relatives of people who were forcibly disappeared and to protest against the prevalent impunity for grave human rights violations of the day. The exact circumstances of the disappearances in the vast majority of cases are still unknown, including the fate and whereabouts of hundreds of victims, and those responsible have not been brought to justice. Saturday Mothers have held 699 peaceful gatherings since May 1995. During this time, many participants have faced intimidation, harassment, excessive use of force, arbitrary detention and unjust prosecution. In 1999, as a result, the organizers decided to stop holding the weekly vigils, which resumed in 2009 to continue with their demand of truth and justice for all cases of enforced disappearances. On 25 August, police in Istanbul used unnecessary and excessive force, including tear gas, plastic bullets and water cannons, to disperse participants of a weekly vigil - known as the ‘Saturday Mothers vigil’ - held for victims of enforced disappearance. The longstanding protest was marking its 700th week since it was first held in 1995. Scores of participants, including elderly relatives of people who were forcibly disappeared in the hands of the state, were ill-treated and 47 people were detained before being released from police custody later that day.

25th October 2022
Protect the Protest of Saturday Mothers/People’s weekly vigil

17th June 2022
Turkey: Amnesty names Osman Kavala and Gezi Park defendants as prisoners of conscience

25th April 2022
Turkey: Aggravated life sentence for Osman Kavala a ‘devastating blow’ for human rights

19th January 2021
Turkey: Facebook and other companies “in danger of becoming an instrument of state censorship”

3rd July 2020
Turkey: Amnesty Chair convicted in a ‘travesty of justice’ Court deals crushing blow for human rights and justice as four activists convicted

16th May 2020
Turkey: Government must take steps to combat rising homophobia and transphobia

13th April 2020
Turkey: Prison release law leaves innocent and vulnerable prisoners at risk of COVID-19

30th March 2020
Turkey: Imprisoned journalists, human rights defenders and others, now at risk of Covid-19, must be urgently released

18th February 2020
Turkey: Osman Kavala release must herald an end to the crackdown on civil society

25th October 2019
Turkey: Syrians illegally deported into war ahead of anticipated ‘safe zone’

18th October 2019
Syria: Damning evidence of war crimes and other violations by Turkish forces and allied armed groups

9th October 2019
Syria: Civilians at risk as Turkish military offensive looms

1st July 2019
Turkey: Police use tear gas and plastic bullets against Istanbul Pride

10th May 2019
Turkey: ‘Appalling’ violence used against students holding Pride march

7th November 2018
Turkey: Judicial farce continues as authorities once again fail to produce evidence against Taner and the Istanbul 10

6th November 2018
Turkey: Judicial farce must end with acquittal of human rights defenders

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