Training Event: Implementing Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Turkey

On November 3rd and 4th, EIN and Netherlands Helsinki Committee co-hosted an online training event focused on Implementing Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Turkey. This two-day training aimed to equip NGOs and lawyers with knowledge of the execution process, in order to advocate for the full and effective implementation of ECtHR judgments.

The first day of the training event aimed to provide civil society organizations with an overview of NGO engagement in the ECtHR implementation process. Prof. Dr Basak Cali, EIN Chair, Professor of International law, and Director of the Centre for Fundamental Rights, Hertie School, started the event with an introduction, followed by a discussion with participants about their experiences and training expectations.

Next, the training focused on how NGOs can get involved in the ECtHR implementation process, presented by Ioana Iliescu, EIN Law and Advocacy Office and Agnes Ciccarone, EIN Programme and Finance Manager. The second presentation addressed best practices for NGO submissions, presented by Isik Batmaz, Head of the Section Department for the Execution of Judgments at the Council of Europe.

The second session, on the 4th of November, addressed (the lack of) ECtHR implementation in Turkey in the context of opportunities and challenges experienced by NGOs working on the subject in Turkey. It was introduced and moderated by Ramute Remezaite, Implementation Lead at the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre and EIN Board Member.

Ozlem Zingil, Lawyer at the Truth Justice Memory Center (Hafiza Merkezi) and Mümtaz Murat Kök, Projects and Communications Coordinator at the Media Law Studies Association (Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları) discussed their experiences with working on ECtHR implementation and lessons learned.

The final part focused on selected cases, with parallel breakout rooms to enable participants to discuss how to approach cases of particular interest. Participants gained new insights on how to draft submissions and strategies to have maximum impact on the execution process of a judgment and, ultimately, to contribute to better protection of human rights in the EU. Participants then presented their findings with the rest of the group on how they would engage in the implementation process in particular cases.

We thank everyone who participated in this event and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, who co-organised the training.