IHR denounced detention of the Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu

On March 20, at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, the Institute for Human Rights delivered a powerful statement at the Palais des Nations; addressing the alarming erosion of democracy and human rights in Türkiye.

In their statement, they expressed grave concern over the systematic suppression of opposition voices. They highlighted the recent detention of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition leader, just days before his anticipated presidential nomination. Even more concerning, Istanbul University revoked İmamoğlu’s degree a day before his arrest. As per Article 101 of the Turkish Constitution, a presidential candidate must hold a higher education degree, making this revocation a potential tactic to bar him from running for office.

IHR denounced detention of the Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğluIHR condemned the use of universities as political tools to marginalize opponents, stressing that this is a violation of democratic principles. They cautioned that such tactics, if left unchallenged, could set a dangerous precedent beyond Türkiye’s borders. With the aim of ensuring democracy; the statement concluded with a call to protect academic freedom, political pluralism, and to amplify the voices of the Turkish people.