Dr. Conde şartlı tahliye edildi
On 12 March 2019, Dr. Sekouba Conde was provisionally released from detention.
The last confirmed location of Dr. Sekouba Conde, was Aydın Repatriation Centre, where he had been detained since July 2018.
On 24 July 2018, he was detained once again, despite holding a valid residence permit for Turkey. Following this detention, he was believed to have been held in Aydin Repatriation Centre.
On 15 May 2018, Dr. Sekouba Conde was released from Harmandalı Repatriation Centre, after successfully contesting his administrative detention. He had been held in the centre for nine months. A separate case against his repatriation is still pending before the administrative court.
Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and Dr. Sekouba Conde are the founders of the Association of Solidarity and Mutual Assistance to Migrants (ASEM), an organisation which focuses on the right to health of African migrants and refugees and in particular, helps migrants and refugees who cannot access medical treatment because of constraints in Turkish health policies for migrants and refugees.
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- 22 March 2019 : Dr. Sekouba Conde provisionally released
- 21 February 2019 : Ongoing judicial harassment of Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and Dr. Sekouba Conde
- 24 May 2018 : Dr. Sekouba Conde released
- 11 April 2018 : Constitutional Court makes interim decision in Dr. Sekouba Conde’s case
- 15 February 2018 : Repatriation Process for Doctor Sekouba Conde is temporarily suspended
- 18 January 2018 : Ongoing detention of Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and initiation of repatriation of Doctor Sekouba Conde
On 12 March 2019, Dr. Sekouba Conde was provisionally released from detention. Despite holding a valid Turkish residence permit, the human rights defender spent the last seven and a half months in detention awaiting a decision on his repatriation. Despite his release, the decision on whether he poses “a threat to public order, public security or public health” is still pending.
Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of Dr. Sekouba Conde, but continues to call for the administrative case against him to be closed.
Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde has been detained for over 15 months on terrorism-related charges and is currently being held in İzmir Women’s Prison. Her next hearing is scheduled for 28 March 2019. The last confirmed location of her husband, Dr. Sekouba Conde, was Aydın Repatriation Centre, where he had been detained since July 2018. He had only been released from Harmandalı Repatriation Centre in May 2018.
Dr. Sekouba Conde and Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, are the founders of the Association of Solidarity and Mutual Assistance to Migrants (ASEM), an organisation that focuses on the right to health of African migrants and refugees. It helps migrants and refugees, who are not ordinarily entitled to healthcare in Turkey, to access medical treatment.
At her last hearing on 10 January 2019, an anonymous witness testified that Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde had done translations into Arabic on behalf of a terrorist organisation. This is despite the fact that the woman human rights defender does not speak Arabic. She made reference to the hearing in a letter she sent to the online newspaper Bianet on 15 February 2019. In the same letter, she said that she had not recently received any letters from her husband, Dr. Sekouba Conde. His current whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
On 4 October 2017, Dr. Sekouba Conde and Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde’s home was raided by police in connection with a case against a number of people accused of “membership of a terrorist organisation”, namely the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party (DHKP-C), recognised as a terrorist organisation in Turkey. A witness in this case had testified against Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, claiming that during a symposium, she worked as an interpreter on behalf of the DHKP-C. Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde has been detained since October 2017 and charged with “membership of a terrorist organisation.” After being transferred to various locations, she is now being held in İzmir Women’s Prison.
When police attempted to forcefully take Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde into custody during the raid, her husband Dr. Sekouba Conde intervened and stated his intention to file a complaint. He was taken into custody for “resisting a police officer” and threatened with repatriation to his native Guinea. The human rights defenders were brought to İstanbul Security Directorate’s Anti-Terror Branch. Although Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyers were told that he would be released, a repatriation process was initiated by the Directorate General of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior for “posing a threat to public order, public security or public health.”
On 14 February 2018, Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyer was told that the repatriation process initiated against Dr. Sekouba Conde was temporarily suspended, and on 30 March 2018, his lawyer learned that the Constitutional Court of Turkey had made an interim decision suspending his repatriation to Guinea. On 15 May 2018, he was released from Harmandalı Repatriation Centre, where he had been held for over eight months. On 24 July 2018, he was detained once again, despite holding a valid residence permit for Turkey. Following this detention, he was believed to have been held in Aydin Repatriation Centre.
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern over the ongoing detention of Dr. Sekouba Conde and Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde. It urges the authorities in Turkey to immediately release and drop charges against Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, to confirm the whereabouts of Dr. Sekouba Conde, and to drop the repatriation process against him if he remains at risk of repatriation, as it is believed both defenders are being targeted solely as a result of their legitimate human rights work.
On the 15 May, Dr. Sekouba Conde was released from Harmandalı Repatriation Centre, after successfully contesting his administrative detention. He had been held in the centre for nine months. A separate case against his repatriation is still pending before the administrative court.
Dr. Sekouba Conde and his wife, Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, are the founders of the Association of Solidarity and Mutual Assistance to Migrants (ASEM), an organisation that focuses on the right to health of African migrants and refugees. It helps migrants and refugees, who are not ordinarily entitled to healthcare in Turkey, to access medical treatment.
On 4 October 2017, Dr. Sekouba Conde’s home was raided by police in connection with a case against a number of people accused of “membership of a terrorist organisation”, namely the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party (DHKP-C), recognised as a terrorist organisation in Turkey. A witness in this case had testified against Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, claiming that during a symposium, she worked as an interpreter on behalf of the DHKP-C.
When police attempted to forcefully take Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde into custody, her husband intervened and stated his intention to file a complaint. Dr. Sekouba Conde was taken into custody for “resisting a police officer” and threatened with repatriation. The human rights defenders were brought to İstanbul Security Directorate’s Anti-Terror Branch. Although Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyers were told that he would be released, a repatriation process was initiated by the Directorate General of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior under Article 54 (1) of the law “On Foreigners and International Protection”: “a removal decision shall be issued in respect of those foreigners who/whose (d): pose a public order, public security or public health threat.”
On 14 February 2018, Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyer was told that the repatriation process initiated against Dr. Sekouba Conde was temporarily suspended but he had not been released. On 30 March 2018, his lawyer learned that the Constitutional Court of Turkey had made an interim decision suspending his repatriation to his native Guinea.
While we welcome the release of Dr. Sekouba Conde, we remain concerned for Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde’s continuing detention.
On 30 March 2018, Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyer learned that the Constitutional Court of Turkey had made an interim decision, ruling that the human rights defender cannot be repatriated to his native country, Guinea. He had previously been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and he possesses a residency and work permit issued by Turkish authorities, which is valid until 2019. Despite the court’s decision, Dr. Conde continues to be held in Harmandalı Repatriation Centre.
On 14 February 2018, the lawyer of Dr. Sekouba Conde was informed that the repatriation process initiated against him by the Directorate General of Migration Management of the Ministry of the Interior was temporarily suspended.
Dr. Conde has been kept in Harmandalı Repatriation Centre for almost six months. According to the law on Foreigners and International Protection, under Article 57 (3) “The duration of administrative detention in removal centres shall not exceed six months. However, in cases where the removal cannot be completed due to the detainee’s failure to cooperate in providing correct information or documents about their country [of origin], this period may be extended for a maximum of six additional months”. Dr. Conde’s lawyer believes that his client may be released soon.
On 4 October 2017, Dr Sekouba Conde was taken into custody when he was trying to protect his wife Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde against police violence when the human rights defenders’ home was raided by police. The police raid was in connection with a case against a number of people accused of “membership of a terrorist organisation”, namely the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party (DHKP-C), which is regarded as a terrorist organisation in Turkey. A witness in this case testified against Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, claiming that during a symposium, she worked as an interpreter on behalf of the DHKP-C. After they were taken into custody, a repatriation process was initiated against Dr. Sekouba Conde by the Directorate General of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior under Article 54 (1) of the law “On Foreigners and International Protection”: “a removal decision shall be issued in respect of those foreigners who/whose (d): pose a public order, public security or public health threat.” Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyer appealed the initiation of the repatriation process but the appeal has not yet been heard.
On 16 January 2018, a lawyer confirmed the ongoing detention of Dr. Sekouba Conde in Harmandalı Repatriation Centre in İzmir. The defender had been uncontactable for over a month.
On 11 October 2017, human rights defender Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde was put in pre-trial detention and charged with “membership of an armed terrorist organisation.” A repatriation process was also initiated against her husband, human rights defender Dr. Sekouba Conde, who is originally from Guinea and a legal resident in Turkey. He has been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and possesses a two year residency and work permit issued by Turkish authorities and valid until 2019.
On 4 October 2017, the human rights defenders’ home was raided by police in connection with a case against a number of people accused of “membership of a terrorist organisation”, namely the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party (DHKP-C), recognised as a terrorist organisation in Turkey. A witness in this case testified against Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde, claiming that during a symposium, she worked as an interpreter on behalf of the DHKP-C.
When police attempted to forcefully take Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde into custody, her husband intervened and stated his intention to file a complaint against the responsible police officers. Dr. Sekouba Conde was threatened that he would be sent to a repatriation centre and taken into custody for “resisting a police officer.” The defenders were brought to İstanbul Security Directorate’s Anti-Terror Branch. Although the lawyers were informed that Dr. Sekouba Conde would be released, a repatriation process was initiated by the Directorate General of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior under Article 54 (1) of the law “On Foreigners and International Protection”: “a removal decision shall be issued in respect of those foreigners who/whose (d): pose a public order, public security or public health threat.” Dr. Sekouba Conde’s lawyer appealed the initiation of a repatriation process but the appeal has not yet been heard.
On 11 October 2017, Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde was charged with “membership of an armed terrorist organisation” by the Istanbul Vacation Criminal Judgeship of Peace and placed in pre-trial detention in Balıkesir T Type Prison. The case is confidential and the authorities have failed to provide any information regarding the investigation to the lawyers. Her husband Dr. Sekouba Conde was initially sent to Istanbul Kumkapı Repatriation Centre, Kırıkkale before being sent to İzmir Harmandalı Repatriation Centre. For approximately one month after he was sent to İzmir Harmandalı Repatriation Centre, Dr. Sekouba Conde was uncontactable, leading his colleagues to presume that he had already been repatriated.
On 16 January 2018, a lawyer from İzmir Bar Association reported that Dr. Sekouba Conde is still detained in Harmandalı Repatriation Centre in İzmir and visited him. The lawyer reported that Dr. Sekouba Conde was deprived of his right to make a phone call and could not inform anybody about his situation.
Front Line Defenders is concerned about the detention of Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and the possible repatriation of Dr. Sekouba Conde as it is believed that they have been targeted solely as a result of their legitimate human rights work.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Turkey to:
1. Immediately drop all charges against Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and unconditionally release Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and Doctor Sekuoba Conde;
2. Ensure respect for the rights of Ayşe Lerzan Caner Conde and Dr. Sekouba Conde while in detenion, including unfettered access to family and a lawyer;
3. End up the repatriation process, considering that Dr. Sekouba Conde has been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and could be at risk if sent back to his country of origin;
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Turkey are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.
