Turkey child sentencing law condemned by UN rights chief

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned amendments to Turkey's Child Protection Law on August 13, saying tougher sentencing for children raised serious human rights concerns and should be brought into line with Turkey's international obligations.

The UN rights office said Turkey's parliament passed the amendments last week. It said child offenders will be held in closed juvenile institutions, with any transfer to an education-based institution depending on an assessment, rather than being placed directly in rehabilitative, education-based institutions.

The office said the measures toughen sentences for offenders aged 12 to 18. It said children aged 15 to 18 accused of crimes carrying aggravated life imprisonment, including intentional killing, could face prison terms of 19 to 27 years. For other crimes carrying life imprisonment, the penalty would be 15 to 18 years.

Turk said some proposals, including better coordination between child protection and education services and measures to prevent children accessing firearms, may be positive. But he said juvenile justice should combine accountability with rehabilitation and reintegration. The UN rights office said international human rights law allows children to be imprisoned only as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period.