KHRP condemns the indiscriminate killing of Kurdish civilians by Syrian security forces at the Newroz festival in al-Raqqa, Syria. 

Yesterday two people were shot dead, the whereabouts of a third man is unknown and more than 41 were injured after Syrian security forces opened fire on crowds celebrating the Newroz festival. Eyewitnesses have also reported that many of the wounded have been arbitrarily detained. Others who are seriously wounded are being treated in their own homes for fear of being arrested in the state hospital. 

KHRP is pleased to announce the publication of its report on children’s rights and its new manual on how to take human rights complaints to the Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.                

The fact-finding mission and research report, entitled The Situation of Kurdish Children in Turkey, seeks to provide a comprehensive account of the hardship faced by Kurdish children in Turkey. Combining desk and field-based research, this report incorporates the findings of its 2008 mission to Diyarbakır, Cizre and Istanbul with those resulting from the follow-up mission that took place last October. Investigations revealed that Kurdish children face considerable barriers and disadvantages relative to their Turkish counterparts. This was most keenly identified with regard to the treatment of Kurdish children in the juvenile justice system, with those living in the Kurdish regions receiving far less protection. This has become particularly acute given the application of new anti-terror legislation that has been used to criminalise children. The report concludes with some recommendations for the EU and concerned national governments and organisations aimed at ensuring Turkey complies with its international obligations concerning children’s rights.